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Rb Hip Hop

The Weeknd Adds a Record-Breaking 40-Foot Statue to His European Tour

The latest update to the Canadian superstar's historic After Hours Til Dawn tour, the set piece is designed by Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama and officially the tallest fine art piece ever commissioned for a concert.

The Weeknd

The Weeknd

The Weeknd / Instagram

The Weeknd is continuing to break records on his historic After Hours Til Dawn tour.

The Canadian icon recently kicked off the second European leg of the tour, which now includes a major art piece. One of the tour's constants has been its centrepiece, a massive statue designed by Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama, and its latest iteration is reportedly the largest fine art commission for a live show ever, standing at 40 feet tall.


The robot statue, inspired by Sorayama's "Sexy Robot" series, was first introduced during the previous European leg of the tour in 2023, where it was coated in silver and featured the robot's hands stretched backwards as if it was ascending. The same statue was reintroduced in gold during the tour's second run in 2025, following the release of the singer's sixth album Hurry Up Tomorrow. Now, it's been revamped with a new pose featuring a bent knee, a new helmet and double the stature, as the previous statue stood 20 feet tall.

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A fan of Sorayama's work, The Weeknd also previously teamed up with the Japanese artist in 2021 to commemorate the ten-year anniversary of Echoes of Silence, the third instalment in his trilogy of breakthrough mixtapes, with a limited edition merchandise capsule and special edition vinyl.

Since kicking off in 2022, the After Hours Til Dawn tour has become the highest-earning tour by a male solo artist in history, surpassing $1 billion in grosses, a feat it achieved after first surpassing Bruno Mars and Beyoncé to earn the top-selling R&B tour of all-time upon grossing $635.5 million and crossing 5.1 million tickets sold as of Aug. 2025.

The hitmaker also made history with his trek when he returned to Toronto last year for four nights at the Rogers Centre, breaking two records in the process. He became the first Canadian artist to play six concerts at the stadium, simultaneously notching the highest number of shows played at the venue by a male solo artist on a singular tour. He was also honoured during a special pre-show ceremony where Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow presented him with the key to the city.

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As The Weeknd powers through another year on the road, his vast catalogue of hits continues to shine onstage. At the top of this year, he became the first artist to earn 30 songs with over a billion Spotify streams each, further stamping his legacy as one of Canada's greatest-ever hitmakers.

The After Hours Til Dawn tour continues in Europe until September, before wrapping up with a final leg in Asia this Fall.

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Jairus Sharif
Matt Wallace via Jairus Sharif / Instagram

Jairus Sharif

Awards

Calgary Jazz Artist Jairus Sharif Wins the First-Ever Meridian Prize

Sharif's album Basis of Unity is the first recipient of the FACTOR-partnered award that recognizes an album of exceptional artistic achievement from Western and Northern Canada. The award was presented at BreakOut West in Victoria this weekend (Oct. 3).

Jairus Sharif has won the first-ever Meridian Prize.

This weekend, the Calgary experimental jazz musician was awarded the inaugural Meridian Prize for his 2025 album Basis of Unity at BreakOut West festival and conference in Victoria, British Columbia. The brand new prize was introduced this year to recognize an album of exceptional artistic achievement from Western and Northern Canada, serving a similar role as the Polaris Music Prize. In addition to a trophy, Sharif also receives a $5,000 honorarium.

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