The Weeknd played four consecutive nights at Stade de France in July 2026, the first time any artist had done that at this venue. I went to the opening night and I have not stopped thinking about it since.

The merchandise store opened two hours before the show. Prices were high, around 65 euros for a standard hoodie and significantly more for premium items. This is the international touring economy now and there is not much point arguing with it. I bought nothing and walked into the golden pit instead, which cost 180 euros for the ticket but put me close enough to the stage to see the production clearly.

Before the show I interviewed fans in the queue. The range of people was striking. Groups of young women who had followed the tour across multiple countries. Men in their forties who had been listening since Trilogy. Families with teenagers who knew every word of every song from a different era than their parents. The Weeknd has an unusual ability to exist across generations without feeling diluted.

The production was extraordinary. Fire effects shot thirty meters into the air during the opening sequence. The visual design of the stage referenced the Starboy and After Hours aesthetics simultaneously, creating a kind of visual retrospective. The decision to use drones for filming instead of traditional cameramen meant the screens showed angles that felt genuinely cinematic rather than live television.

Playboi Carti appeared as a surprise guest about halfway through the set. The crowd erupted. The collaboration between them has been one of the more interesting pairings in recent music and hearing it live made clear why.

The show closed with a fireworks sequence synchronized to the final songs that had 80,000 people collectively losing their composure. I have been to many concerts in Paris. This was the best production I have witnessed in this city. I gave it a 10 out of 10 and I stand by that assessment completely.