Abel Tesfaye has signalled the end of his long-running alter ego, The Weeknd.
During his After Hours Til Dawn tour stop in Mexico City on April 22, 2026, the superstar paused before performing Save Your Tears and delivered a line that sparked global speculation: “One final leg and I’ll disappear… I’ll see you on the other side.”
For many fans, it landed as a farewell.
The moment aligns with Tesfaye’s growing detachment from the persona.
In interviews, the 36-year-old has described The Weeknd as a character he inhabits rather than his true self.
Asked whether he was closing his recent trilogy or the identity itself, he was direct: “I would say my existence as The Weeknd.”
He said stepping into the role now requires a mindset he no longer wants.
“It’s a headspace I’ve gotta get into that I just don’t have any more desire for,” he noted, citing the “rat race” of accolades and No. 1 hits.
The shift had been foreshadowed in late 2024 through “The End Is Near” billboards and social media posts referencing the “eight beautiful chapters” of his journey.
A pivotal moment came during a 2022 show at SoFi Stadium, when he abruptly lost his voice mid-performance.
He later described the incident as symbolic, “Part of me actually was thinking, ‘You lost your voice because it’s done… you can end it now and live a happy life.’”
While retiring the moniker, Tesfaye is not stepping away from music.
He stressed that creativity remains central, but suggested the “The Weeknd” sound has run its course.
That sense of completion shaped his latest project, Hurry Up Tomorrow, released in early 2025 as both a studio album and a psychological thriller film, positioned as the final chapter of his trilogy.
Since 2010, Abel Tesfaye has built one of the most successful careers in modern music, becoming the first artist to surpass 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify and earning multiple Diamond certifications.
Now, at his commercial peak, he appears to be reinventing.
As he prepares to release music under his birth name, Tesfaye frames the shift as a creative reset, “I just want to know what comes after… I want to know what tomorrow looks like.”