The Weeknd u-turns on decision to ditch stage name as he promises to 'never disappear'
The music artist, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, has been releasing songs as The Weeknd since 2011.
The Weeknd has gone back on his plans to retire his stage-name, promising fans he will "never disappear".
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The music artist, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, has been releasing songs as The Weeknd since 2011.
He released his latest album 'Hurry Up Tomorrow' in January 2025 - the final instalment in his 'Blinding Lights' album trilogy.
The Canadian singer-songwriter said it would be the last LP under the moniker and he would move on from that chapter in his life.
"It’s a headspace I’ve gotta get into that I just don’t have any more desire for," he said at the time.
"I feel like it comes with so much. You have a persona, but then you have the competition of it all."
He continued: "And for me right now, The Weeknd, whatever that is, it’s been mastered. No one’s gonna do the Weeknd better than me, and I’m not gonna do it better than what it is right now."
The Weeknd went on to reference a 2022 show at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles where be abruptly cancelled the show halfway through. He lost his voice during his hit 'Can't Feel My Face'.
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"I tasted retirement a little bit. I don’t like the way it feels..." please abel don't play with our hearts, you said you wouldn't leave atleast for another 20 years 😭 pic.twitter.com/zTjyXs1c3G
— Büşi ﾒ𝟶 (@houseofbirdsxo) August 8, 2026
"Don’t overstay at the party – you can end it now and live a happy life," he said.
However, while on his latest tour, he changed his stance.
He promised he would "never disappear" during a show in Stockholm.
"I tested retirement a little bit, and I don’t like the way it feels."
The Weeknd kicked off the European leg of his ‘After Hours Til Dawn’ tour in Copenhagen last month.
The pop singer played two dates at Manchester’s Etihad Stadium as part of his record-breaking tour, which surpassed $1billion (£740million) in gross revenue and selling more than 7.5million tickets. The highest-grossing tour by any male solo artist.
The show included a 40-foot gold sculpture created by Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama, which is the largest fine-art commission ever created for a live concert.
The huge stage also features sprawling golden ruins, lasers and flames.
A portion of every ticket The Weekend sells on tour goes to Global Citizen. The partnership raises money for education access for underprivileged children and food relief.
To date, the singer donated more than $8.5million to the XO Humanitarian Fund and Global Citizen through the tour.
The Weeknd will return to the UK later this month:
- Five nights at Wembley Stadium on: August 14, 15, 16, 18 and 19
- Croke Park in Dublin on August 22 and 23
- The tour will continue into Asia, with the dates in Tokyo, Jakarta, Singapore, Seoul, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur
