KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 — The TM National Stadium in Bukit Jalil is buzzing with The Weeknd vibes as today marks the first night of his After Hours Til Dawn Tour finale. 

By 1pm, crowds have already began filling the stadium area with many came turned up in shades of black and burgundy outfits in keeping with the iconic colours of the Canadian R&B star. 

The stadium atmosphere has also been transformed into a festival-like grounds with plenty of food and beverages booths as well as a couple of merchandise and even makeup stations set up just outside of the stadium. 

According to a security staff at one of the official merchandise booths, there were also eager fans queuing for merchandise since 8am despite the booth opening at noon. 

As this marks the grand finale of the After Hours Til Dawn tour — which has been running since 2022 — fans from all over the world are traveling to Malaysia to catch the final two shows happening today and tomorrow. 

Amongst them is 25-year-old Liegh from the Philippines this morning who then immediately went to the stadium grounds upon touching down as she didn’t want to miss out on the merchandise sales. 

“Me and my friend arrived this morning and we immediately went here to the stadium to buy the merch. 

“Because we don’t want to risk it for tomorrow because we know that it’s going to be really packed. 

“So we thought of why not just come here super early just to buy the stuff,” Liegh told Malay Mail. 

Liegh, a devoted fan of the R&B superstar who even has a ‘Starboy’ tattoo on her chest, said she has been eagerly waiting the finale — especially after The Weeknd’s 2018 Manila show was cancelled.

“So yes, we’ve been waiting around eight years for this. 

“I still can’t believe that I’m finally going to see him in real life and witnessing everything. 

“I’m hoping, well not hoping but I know that there’s going to be like something more that he’s going to do tomorrow since it is the last day of the tour and we are so stoked for it,” she said. 

Meanwhile for 24-year-old Ahsan who arrived here from Maldives a couple days ago said that he grew up with The Weeknd’s music and the singer definitely holds a special place in his heart. 

“This show really means a lot because his songs are sentimental in a way for me. 

“I would often listen to him during my tough times and his songs have been my coping mechanism and I’ve been listening to him since I was 12 years old,” Ahsan said. 

As it is monsoon season in Malaysia, when asked if he is worried about rain during the concert, Ahsan simply replied “Rain or shine, we will be there no matter what.” 

Another fan who is currently enjoying the tropical Malaysian monsoon weather is 23-year-old Nipa from the United Kingdom. 

“I feel like Malaysia is so beautiful and it is so hot compared to London because it’s so cold there and it’s always raining there. 

“I love the hot weather here and I was previously in Bangladesh and the heat there is really hot but here is just perfect,” she said. 

Although this is her first time travelling solo for an international concert, Nipa revealed that she has actually been to several of The Weeknd’s show previously including four shows during his 2023 tour run in UK and another three this year and she is in Malaysia to catch the finale of it. 

“His music and his art really inspire me and his EP ‘My Dear Melancholy’, which is my favourite EP, really changed my life genuinely. 

“It’s like his lyrics and music really touched my soul and my heart and him as a person who openly supports Palestine is really important to me as a person. 

“And everything about him as well, he’s such an inspirational person,” Nipa said. 

The Weeknd’s KL shows didn’t just attract international fans, there are also fans coming from all over Malaysia as well and amongst them is 24-year-old Syakirah Norizal who came to KL with two of her friends, driving all the way from Ipoh, Perak. 

“We left Ipoh at around 9am this morning and we arrived at the stadium at around 1pm but we did have a pit stop at a nearby R&R stop to get into our concert outfits. 

“It was a good decision on our side because the R&R is quite empty and there’s a Surau there and we could take our own time” Syakirah said. 

Similarly to the others, Syakirah and her friends are really looking forward for the concert, especially as they didn’t manage to secure tickets during the first ticket sales last May.

However, luck was on their side as Livenation Malaysia later announced another last-minute ticket sales earlier in October. 

“We were heartbroken during the May ticket sales because we were working at the time and at the same time we were battling for tickets. 

“At first we already accepted our fate of not being able to go but we were super happy when we found out that additional seats have opened up,” she said. 

Describing their journey, Syakirah shared that traffic was smooth until they reached the stadium entrance, where congestion hit. 

However, the group managed to get inside and secured a parking spot right behind the Unifi Arena — though it came with a steep RM50 daily flat rate.

As of 6pm, fans have begun making their way into the stadium, and despite a slight drizzle, the weather has been fairly accommodating. 

Today’s session is set to begin with a performance by Japanese DJ Yousuke Yukimatsu, followed by Creepy Nutz. 

The Weeknd is expected to take the stage at 8.30pm onwards.