By Parvi Anand
On Thursday, August 21, 2025, Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium lit up as Abel Tesfaye, better known as The Weeknd, brought his After Hours Til Dawn Tour to a sold-out crowd. Known as one of the world’s biggest artists, The Weeknd delivered a marathon performance, singing 42 songs back-to-back for two and a half hours without a single break. It didn’t quite go “til dawn” but it felt close.
To capture the night, I spoke with seniors Emme Donaldson and Brandt Blazejewski (a longtime fan and a newbie), who both had unique experiences at the show.
For Brandt, the night was full of surprises. “I’ve never been a Weeknd fan, but it was so cool seeing him perform like that, it made me one,” he said. His favorite song of the night was Cry For Me, though what stood out most were the visuals. “Seeing the performance come to life was crazy, especially with the lights and flames, it was beautiful,” Brandt shared.
He kept his outfit simple, wearing jeans and picking up a merch shirt at the show. Brandt sat in box seats with a friend, senior David Rumph, who had invited him to the concert. “The performance was incredible, the lights and venue were great,” he said, summing it up as an unforgettable experience.
Senior Emme Donaldson saw the concert as more than just a show, since it doubled as her 18th birthday present. “It didn’t feel real. It was hard for me to process I was even there. I was so happy,” she said. Emme went with her friends, seniors Piper Millians and Amelia Friedman, who surprised her with tickets. Her favorite moment? When The Weeknd unexpectedly brought out Future. “That was so crazy,” she said, smiling. Her favorite song of the night was Die For You, which she said hit different hearing live.
Besides the music, Emme described the fun of getting ready with her friends. “I’ve never gone to a concert with friends before, so it felt really special,” she said. Planning her outfit was tougher than expected. “I tore apart my closet to find something to wear, but then I just ended up borrowing a black mini dress from Amelia,” she explained.
The night ended with them going to Taco Bell. “That was my first official meal at 18,” she laughed. Beforehand, she and her friends had grabbed Chick-fil-A. Emme sat in Section 111 and described the whole experience as “the best birthday present ever.”
Brandt also shared some highlights outside of the music itself. “I ate wings there and those were pretty good,” he said. He also grabbed a T-shirt from the merch stand. “It’s cool having something to remember the night by,” he added. For him, the overall experience was unforgettable. “It was incredible, really cool seeing the performance come to life,” he summed up.
I also attended the concert sitting in Section 109, just a couple of sections away from Emme, Piper, and Amelia. Funny enough, I actually ran into them while waiting in line to scan my tickets!
Once we got inside, the energy hit immediately. The whole stadium was buzzing, everyone jumping, screaming, singing every word, and waving their phone flashlights. The stage was insane too, with pyrotechnics, lasers, and huge screens.
The highlights for me were Reflections Laughing, The Morning, and Less Than Zero. They were amazing live, and hearing them with the crowd made them sound even better than on Spotify. The whole thing felt surreal, and it’s definitely a night I’ll never forget.
In case you’re wondering, I didn’t stop anywhere for food afterwards, and I was definitely home by dawn.
