KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 — Canadian R&B superstar The Weeknd kicked off his Kuala Lumpur stop with a spectacular first-night performance at the TM National Stadium in Bukit Jalil last night.

The show, which drew more than 65,000 fans, marked the final city on his record-breaking After Hours Til Dawn (AHTD) Tour, ahead of its grand finale tonight.

The spectacle featured a towering 40-foot chrome-and-gold robot sculpture created by Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama, alongside immersive laser displays, dazzling visuals, cloaked dancers and pyrotechnics.

The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, opened the show at approximately 9pm with an electrifying rendition of Baptized in Fear, emerging on stage in his iconic MF DOOM-inspired chrome mask to a roaring reception.

About 15 minutes into the performance, he removed the mask and delivered a heartfelt message to fans, reflecting on the significance of the occasion.

“It’s a very historic night that we’re celebrating here right now. It is the last city of this entire tour. 

“On a historic run that you guys are such a big part of but there’s another special thing about this show — it is my first time in Malaysia. Did you know that?

“The last show is my first time in this beautiful country, man. You guys are so beautiful and what I realised too, especially in the first 15 minutes of the show is that I can never skip Malaysia on any tour ever again,” he said, sending shockwaves through the stadium as fans erupted into a deafening roar.

The night went on with Abel performing several crowd favourites such as Blinding Lights, Die For You, Save Your Tears, and Starboy. 

He also delighted fans by personalising his performance, weaving “KL” directly into the lyrics of hit tracks like Faith and São Paulo.

Most notably during Faith, he replaced the gloomy line “I’m losing my religion every day” with an unexpected shoutout: “I found my religion in Malaysia today.”

Another highlight came just before One of the Girls, when the multi-Grammy-winning artist told the audience he had “saved the best show for last” — a glowing tribute to Kuala Lumpur as the final stop on his tour.

Fans responded by singing along to every word of the track, which originally featured vocals by Blackpink’s Jennie and Lily-Rose Depp.

“That might just be the best one, I’m not gonna lie right now. I’ve been having a really good time in Asia man — a really good time. 

“I don’t want to p*ss anyone off, but this might be my favourite leg of the tour right now. So much inspiration.

“I was in Hong Kong the other day and I was really inspired. I wrote a little song — it’s a love letter to Hong Kong, but it feels like a love letter to all of Asia this time, because everything inspires.” 

He went on to praise his Asian tour stops, saying Kuala Lumpur might be his favourite leg so far, before revealing that he had written a song inspired by his recent visit to Hong Kong.

The newly released single Hong Kong, which samples Faye Wong’s 1993 Cantopop classic Monsoon, was also dedicated to the wider region as he described Asia as a source of inspiration.

The night ended with a literal bang, as fireworks illuminated the night sky, giant balloons rained down on the audience, and pyrotechnics erupted all around. 

Abel closed the show at approximately 11pm, thanking his production team before giving the crowd a final, emphatic “I f*ing love you!”

The final AHTD Tour show will take place tonight, with Abel scheduled to return to the stage at 8.30pm.

Japanese DJ Yousuke Yukimatsu and hip hop duo Creepy Nuts are also scheduled to perform as opening acts, as they did on the first night.