The Weeknd did not need to explain much. Seeing him appear behind a mask, surrounded by a city that looked as if it had survived its own destruction, was enough to understand that this spectacular show was about more than a succession of hits. There was still a character standing there, and behind him, Abel Tesfaye waiting for his moment.
Shortly after 8:30 p.m., with the Estadi Olímpic already packed following Playboi Carti’s opening set, the show began with Baptized in Fear. The priestess-like figures dressed in red stood along the sides of the stage holding smoke in their hands, while Abel appeared calmly behind a mask with glowing red eyes. The restraint did not last long. A simple “Barcelona” during Open Hearts was enough to completely change the energy inside the stadium.
The production is massive, but it never feels excessive for the sake of it. The ruined city, the enormous golden figure, the musicians integrated into the structure, the giant screens, the lasers and remarkably clean sound create a show where almost everything has a purpose.
After Hours sparked one of the first massive singalongs with a “1, 2, 3, Barcelona,” but it was Starboy that completely broke the night open. The crowd jumped and sang louder than The Weeknd while the red-clad priestesses spread across the cross-shaped stage surrounding the golden statue.
During Heartless, those same figures gathered around the golden idol as if they were worshipping it. And when the song ended, one of the most important gestures of the show happened: Abel removed the mask.
“Thank you, Barcelona. How are you feeling tonight? Wonderful, beautiful. Madrid was loud last night.” Naturally, the mention of the Spanish capital immediately brought loud boos from the Barcelona crowd.
“Are you ready, Barcelona? Are you ready to party?” He smiled, raised his hands and looked visibly emotional. That was the moment The Weeknd began to disappear and Abel started to take his place.
The Weeknd’s Performance in Barcelona
A Stadium That Changes Color
Cry for Me once again put the focus on the visuals, with projections distorting his image while the audience wristbands matched the blue lighting of the cross-shaped stage.
Then Sacrifice turned the Olímpic into a full-scale rave. Fire, lights, fireworks and that constant riff made it impossible not to dance. The red figures appeared lined up across the platform while Abel repeatedly called out, “Barcelona? Barcelona.” Everything had been carefully planned. And even though the visual concept is complex, it works remarkably well on a stadium scale.
Before Often, he announced, “I’m taking you back to 2014, Barcelona.” Soon after, The Hills literally set the night on fire. Flames shot from different edges of the stage, the heat could be felt by the crowd and the wristbands lit up red alongside the golden figure. An “I love you” in the middle of the chorus pushed the stadium even further.
Playboi Carti and a Change of Scale
Playboi Carti returned for Timeless and Rather Lie, and his first scream was enough to make the crowd lose its mind. He ran onto the stage and the two traded lines next to the golden statue in one of the most explosive moments of the concert.
After that, the show began moving physically closer to the audience. During One of the Girls, Abel let the stadium take over the vocals and ended the song almost a cappella with the crowd. During Out of Time, he once again moved down toward the fans.
The secondary stage changed the mood. I Feel It Coming, Die for You, Is There Someone Else? and Wicked Games felt much more intimate.
“Barcelona, let’s go back to 2011,” he announced before the last of them.
Then he asked again and again: “Barcelona, do you love me?”
The answer was fairly predictable.
He replied: “Well, I love you too.”
The Weeknd’s Performance in Barcelona
When Only Abel Remains
Back on the main stage, The Abyss delivered one of the strongest images of the night. Abel, now without the mask, sang behind the priestesses positioned along the steps. Slowly, they began to leave. There was no need to explain much.
The concert had started with The Weeknd hidden behind a mask and surrounded by something resembling a cult. Near the end, those same figures disappeared while he was left alone facing the audience.
Save Your Tears once again sent the crowd into a massive singalong from high above the destroyed city, while Blinding Lights delivered another major climax. The priestesses slowly descended from the ruins as the stadium erupted.
Abel bowed before the crowd.
“I f*******g love you, Barcelona.”
Moth to a Flame brought the night to an end with an enormous burst of fireworks over Montjuïc.
The Weeknd had built a monumental show, with some of the best sound currently heard in a stadium and a production executed with incredible precision. But the most interesting part came when he began to dismantle all of it.
The mask came off, the cult disappeared and behind the character stood Abel Tesfaye, watching Barcelona send all that noise right back at him.
MgzMag Final Review
The Weeknd brought Barcelona a show that stands far above the usual standard of major stadium tours. Not only because of the scale of the spectacular production, but because of the precision with which every element finds its place: monumental stage design, extraordinary lighting and lasers, musicians fully integrated into the production and flawless sound, probably among the best you can hear in a stadium today.
Abel Tesfaye also brings total commitment and a genuine connection with the audience, preventing such a massive production from ever feeling cold. Ambitious, emotional and executed with a level of professionalism that is difficult to beat, the After Hours Til Dawn Tour confirms The Weeknd as being in a category of his own when it comes to modern stadium shows.
MgzMag Editorial Team
The Weeknd’s Performance in Barcelona
Setlist The Weeknd in Barcelona , 2026 Sept, 1st
Baptized in Fear
Open Hearts
Wake Me Up
After Hours
Starboy
Heartless
Faith
Cry for Me
Until We’re Skin & Bones
Take My Breath
Sacrifice
How Do I Make You Love Me?
Can’t Feel My Face
Lost in the Fire
Often
Given Up on Me
I Was Never There
The Hills
Timeless – Con Playboy Carti
RATHER LIE – Con Playboy Carti
Creepin’
Niagara Falls
One of the Girls
Stargirl Interlude
Out of Time
I Feel It Coming
Die for You
Is There Someone Else?
Wicked Games
Call Out My Name
The Abyss
Save Your Tears
Less Than Zero
Blinding Lights
House of Balloons
Moth to a Flame
Nota Editorial
Los diálogos transcritos reflejan con fidelidad la voluntad y el mensaje del artista, aunque pueden no ser textuales en su totalidad. En MgzMag nos especializamos en crónicas inmersivas, donde recolectamos la mayor cantidad posible de emociones sensoriales, atmósferas y momentos clave para ofrecer una experiencia cercana a estar ahí. Lo mismo ocurre con los setlists: en algunos eventos no se reciben oficialmente o el artista modifica el orden del mismo en tiempo real, por lo que la reconstrucción se basa en la observación directa del cronista y el cruce con los registros disponibles.
Créditos y Contenido
Todo el material aquí publicado es exclusivo y no puede ser utilizado, copiado ni reproducido total o parcialmente sin autorización expresa de MgzMag. El contenido generado forma parte de futuras producciones de MgzMag.
PH Mariana Gomez Torres
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The Weeknd’s Performance in Barcelona
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