Accor Stadium is a beast of a stadium. The jewel of the Olympic Park precinct, there are few atmospheres in Sydney like the arena when it is full and buzzing. Yet, when it is not quite filled to the brim and the audience is lacking a little energy, it feels cavernous, with the artists and audience swamped by its grandiosity. 

As The Weeknd landed in Sydney for his set of once-rescheduled, much hyped, arena shows, it was a tale of two parts. For some of the show, the atmosphere felt slightly dull and muted as the Canadian superstar moved through some of his back catalogue. Yet for his biggest numbers, the sold-out Tuesday night crowd was electric, dancing in synchrony with the huge pyrotechnic show that engulfed the stadium. As the atmosphere began to lift, that was when the magnitude of the occasion could truly be felt. 

The Weeknd is known for his distinctive yet powerful voice and it was on show from the moment he stepped on stage today. From the opening notes of “Take My Breath”, his unique vibrato mix could be heard resonating throughout the stadium as he effortlessly navigated the upper end of his register. While the sound at Accor Stadium is never the best, the balance was decent for the majority of this set, with The Weeknd’s voice soaring over the rest of the mix. 

The music on display was an interesting pastiche of musical styles, with 80s synthpop dominating the night but other genres like dance-pop, hip-hop and rock making it into the setlist. The Weeknd has clearly been influenced by a range of musical artists and styles from around the globe and this night was evidence of that, as he blended them all into his signature tone. This helped to distinguish the vast number of songs played in the setlist, and keep the set moving. Most of the traditional setlist was played, featuring all the classic hits, however a few new songs were mixed in as well with “One of the Girls” being played for the first time live. 

What made this show particularly special though was the production. Almost every song was immersed in some form of fire or fireworks which nicely punctuated the performance and made the spectacle feel like a cohesive arena show. The dancers nicely complemented The Weeknd on stage and the costuming was also superb. The set, which placed the headliner at the top of a castle for much of the set was also breathtakingly constructed. This was a slick production and there is no doubt that this elevated the performance significantly. 

On the flip side, there was not a lot of interaction with the crowd throughout the set, with frequent “Sydney” insertions into his songs the most common form of engagement. Unlike many arena shows, there wasn’t a clear and cohesive narrative arc, with the broad themes of the apocalypse and death being the only real points of clarity. 

But what the audience came for was the hits and the Weeknd certainly delivered on those. “Can’t Feel My Face” was performed with gusto and the energy was reciprocated by the crowd as was “Starboy”. But the biggest cheers of the night were reserved for “Save Your Tears”, in which The Weeknd nailed his trademark soaring high notes, and the smash hit “Blinding Lights” where the synthesiser blared around the stadium. If hits are what an audience comes to see, there is no doubt that the Canadian has them in spades.

Ultimately, after such a long wait, this was the concert that most fans wanted to see and to a large extent, they got what they desired. The Weeknd performed all his hits and did so with vocal precision and nuance. However, underneath the pyrotechnics and the big budget stadium show, it felt as though some deeper connection with the audience was missing in the way that other arena shows this year have managed to capture. Perhaps this only adds to the mystique of the man but with all that said, one thing remains abundantly clear: The Weeknd’s voice is certainly something to behold. 

Rating: ★★★★

The Weeknd – Accor Stadium – 22^nd October 2024

All photo credits: Gregg Porteous, Accor Stadium