the weeknd after hours tour opener

The Weeknd Dazzles Philadelphia With High-Tech ‘After Hours Til Dawn’ Tour Opener: Concert Review

By A.D. Amorosi

A.D. Amorosi

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It’s difficult to imagine that an intensely theatrical performer like the Weeknd — whose videos, concerts, 2021 Super Bowl Halftime performance and lyrics are loaded with vibrant, at times disturbing imagery — would launch his first-ever stadium tour without spectacle.

And thankfully, after several  incidents of unwanted drama — including two Covid-related delays, the postponement of the tour’s intended opening date in Toronto last weekend due to a Canada-wide wireless outage, and original opening act Doja Cat dropping out due to tonsil surgery — for the belated first night of his “After Hours Til Dawn” tour in Philadelphia, the theatrics were all onstage.

The concert took place on a humid July night in Philadelphia, which had a temperature of 87 degrees as the show opened with sets from producer-artist Mike Dean and Canadian electronic act Kaytranada, but it had cooled down by the time the Weeknd’s headlining set began at around 9 p.m. The Weeknd’s best music traffics in mood, nuance and a mixture of ecstasy and darkness, and that carried over onto a sprawling, technically complex stage, which broadly resembles a towering, crumbling cityscape and spanned much of the Lincoln Financial Field’s grounds. For the two-hour set, the singer, decked as usual in black, was accompanied by a gang of sheathed dancers  — and a crowd of nearly 70,000 people, many of whom were devotees in red jackets and bandaged noses, in emulation of his “After Hours” look .

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Rising onto the set’s centerpiece with his shrouded dancers below, the Weeknd emerged wearing a clear face mask and a car-length coat, easing into an oscillating, electro take on the “After Hours” opener “Alone Again” with a clear, warm voice that conveyed both despondence and a world-weary ennui.

Dropping down to stage level, he followed his dancers into a new-wave-inflected take on “Gasoline,” picking up the pace and dancing, holding out his arms to the audience even as the lyrics held them at bay.

The set that followed was heavy on his two most recent albums, this year’s “Dawn FM” and 2020’s “After Hours,” with his earlier hits dropped in strategically to keep the crowd hyped — although the arrangements of many of the songs were revamped. His angelic voice soared through the Swedish House Mafia remix version of “Sacrifice,” a disco-fied “How Do I Make You Love Me?” and a jittery version of “Can’t Feel My Face” that featured a break reminiscent of vintage New Order. Those three tracks, performed as a medley, turned the venue into an apocalyptic dance party, with the Weeknd as its jovial, devilish host.

Although musicians were not visible on the sprawling stage, they certainly made their presence heard: Mangled guitars and wheezing church organs dominated his recent hit “Take My Breath” and “Hurricane,” followed by the sultry “Often.”

He brought the energy level down with spacey takes on “Starboy” and “Heartless,” with cobalt-blue lighting adding to the cool atmosphere; the ambient R&B songs acted as a cooling agent to the heated emotions and red hues of the night’s first half.

That mood continued through the evening’s more ruminative second half as the Weeknd moved gently but no less theatrically through the ‘90s-Motown vibes of “Out of Time,” a celestial “Less Than Zero” and a cinematic “Save Your Tears.” Through these songs, which were filled with bluesy guitar licks and soulful synths, he brought down his voice an octave, adding to the lovelorn emotions of the lyrics.

Of course, the two-hour show wound to a close with the biggest of his many hits, the ‘80s inflected global smash “Blinding Lights,” a song that in many ways summed up the contrasts of the show, the music and the performer: an avant-garde superstar, an aloof lover man, a combination of beauty and madness, all contained in a concert that somehow felt intimate in a football stadium with nearly 70,000 fellow devotees.

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The Weeknd tour kicks off with an apocalyptic stadium rave in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA – If The Weeknd’s “Dawn FM” album is the equivalent of a dance party in purgatory , his live show is nothing less than a rave before the apocalypse.

The emotionally intense singer-songwriter finally achieved liftoff with his After Hours Til Dawn stadium tour on July 14 at Lincoln Financial Field. The launch was not only a victim of COVID-19 postponements over the past two years, but also saw its initial kickoff date delayed last weekend in the performer’s hometown of Toronto, where a nationwide internet outage stymied venue operations.

That pent-up eagerness to perform emerged the moment The Weeknd, sporting a plastic face mask, rose from one of the burned-out building models erected as a part of a skyline on the main stage for “Alone Again,” from his massive 2020 album, “After Hours.”

From there, it was a blitz of chaotic lighting, beat drops and The Weeknd encouraging the sold-out crowd of more than 45,000 like an enthusiastic Peloton instructor as he poured his gorgeous upper range over a trio of “Dawn FM” tracks : “Gasoline,” “Sacrifice” and “How Do I Make You Love Me?”

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Though no band was present (or at least seen), the music unfurled seamlessly and crisply as the man born Abel Tesfaye cavorted between the front stage and a runway that stretched the length of the field, often surrounded by mysterious dancers in full-body shrouds.

At 32, The Weeknd has already crafted record-breaking releases (in January, “Dawn FM” charted 24 songs on Billboard’s Global 200 chart),  headlined a Super Bowl halftime show , boycotted the Grammy Awards and now conceived an ambitious sprawl of a stadium spectacle that mostly flourishes.

The creative setup includes field seating that partially faces the runway rather than the main stage, giving the show an in-the-round vibe (a giant inflatable moon hangs at the other end of the stadium for reasons only The Weeknd could answer). Two small video screens attached to light towers faced those in the nether regions, but with the primary screen used only for aesthetics, more than half of the stadium was denied any close-ups of the singer.

But no one could refute The Weeknd’s unflagging energy, the scope of his catalog curated for the set list or his cool-guy vibe (after about six songs, he stripped off a black coat that had to be sweltering in Philly’s summer humidity, but retained the black gloves that matched the rest of his ensemble).

His appealing blend of New Wave and pop with smidgens of hip-hop and soul were sometimes mixed with dramatic accouterments, such as the church organ that introduced “Hurricane,” his song with Ye.

And while the exceptional lighting – which stuttered with teal shades during “Kiss Land” and the ensuing “Party Monster” – carried the visual aspects of the concert, The Weeknd threw in some rock trappings with giant puffs of pyro exploding along the catwalk and adding to the meltdown of the skyline during “The Hills.” A supply of plastic wristbands handed out to concertgoers upon arrival blinked faithfully during the gliding “I Feel It Coming,” which also featured a cameo of Jim Carrey’s smooth-groove DJ voice from the “Dawn FM” album.

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The most major of The Weeknd’s hits – “Can’t Feel My Face,” “Starboy” and, toward the end of the 100-minute show, “Blinding Lights” – caused mini eruptions in the crowd as they screamed familiar choruses. But throughout the night, his fans, primarily the young men packing the venue, sang his words of love, lust and longing with gusto, The Weeknd their conduit for expression.

With his excellent “Dawn FM” album to still promote, The Weeknd naturally stoked the set list with current single “Out of Time,” a throwback ballad with DeBarge overtones , and the heavenly “Less Than Zero,” its spidery synthesizer inserts the perfect complement to the shimmery keyboards that propel “Save Your Tears,” which preceded it.

Last fall, The Weeknd decided to shift his tour from arenas to stadiums because he had a vision he wanted to present on a major scale. It was worth the wait.

Opening the show in lieu of Doja Cat , who announced in May that tonsil surgery would prevent her from joining the tour, were DJ/producers Mike Dean and Kaytranada (Swedish R&B singer Snoh Aalegra will join Dean on several dates in August).

Dean stood behind a bank of keyboards, presenting chill instrumentals with flecks of electric guitar for his 30-minute set as the crowd filed in. At 7:30 p.m., Kaytranada bounced onto the stage to work his DJ setup – a laptop and mixing board – and slowly elevated the mood as he danced behind his table to remixes of songs by Rihanna and Janet Jackson, while also showcasing his own beats.

Both openers served more as accompaniment rather than artists to engage with – creating even greater anticipation for The Weeknd’s arrival.

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The Weeknd Announces 'After Hours Til Dawn Tour' Openers

Also releasing “starry eyes” (mike dean remix)..

In a recent interview , The Weeknd ‘s team announced the openers for his upcoming stadium tour, After Hours Til Dawn . The interview reveals that the 19-stop North American tour will feature Mike Dean , Snoh Aalegra , and Kaytranada on varying tour dates.

The announcement comes after Doja Cat , who was originally slated as a “special guest,” had to drop out of the tour back in May due to tonsil surgery .

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by MIKE DEAN (@therealmikedean)

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by The Weeknd (@theweeknd)

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The stadium tour begins on July 8 at Toronto’s Rogers Centre.

Published on

The Weeknd is only a week away from kicking off the highly-anticipated After Hours Til Dawn stadium tour, set to join the worlds of his record-breaking releases After Hours (2020) and Dawn FM (2022). The singer was initially meant to be joined by Doja Cat, but the “Kiss Me More” singer was forced to pull out of the opening slot to undergo tonsil surgery. After weeks of speculation about her replacement act, it has been revealed that The Weeknd will receive support from Kaytranada , Snoh Aalegra, and Mike Dean on select dates.

Mike Dean will join for all 19 dates of the North American tour. Meanwhile, Kaytranada will serve as opener for 15 shows, including stops in Los Angeles, New Jersey, Las Vegas, Miami, and more. Snoh Aalegra will perform in Atlanta, Arlington, Seattle, and San Francisco.

“Maybe five percent of our original ‘After Hours’ production still remains for this tour,” The Weeknd’s creative director La Mar Taylor told Variety . “We really went back to the drawing board when we made the decision to switch from arenas to stadiums.”

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The original After Hours tour was initially scheduled for arenas before the trek was scrapped in favor of larger stages. If there were any skeptics questioning the switch, The Weeknd’s unforgettable headlining performance at the 2021 Super Bowl Halftime show is proof enough that he’ll be able to pull off a grand scale show night after night on his own tour.

“We definitely took inspiration from the Super Bowl performance — and expanded it,” Taylor added. “There were so many restrictions and constraints around that performance that we could not fully realize the vision we had for it. Now we can.”

The After Hours Til Dawn tour is scheduled to begin on July 8 with a hometown show when The Weeknd takes the stage at Toronto’s Rogers Centre. The North American leg will last through the summer, concluding with two shows at the SoFi Stadium on September 2 and 3. Ticket information can be found on the official The Weeknd website.

Listen to the best of The Weeknd on Apple Music and Spotify .

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Entertainment

The Weeknd Announces Massive After Hours Til Dawn Global Tour

The singer will embark on his first ever global stadium tour.

The world has waited long enough for The Weeknd to tour his After Hours album. After postponing his original After Hours arena tour in October 2021 in order to rework the show for a larger audience, the time has finally come. Presenting The Weeknd’s massive After Hours Til Dawn summer 2022 tour, the star’s first-ever global stadium tour that will be bringing to life his last two albums — After Hours and 2022’s Dawn FM — into one massive, dynamic, and world-building show.

Kicking off in his hometown of Toronto on July 8, the slew of shows will take the “Blinding Lights” singer to iconic venues throughout Canada and the U.S. including New York’s MetLife Stadium, Chicago’s Soldier Field, Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, and many more. Doja Cat was scheduled to open for the singer on all of the dates, however pulled out from the tour in May to recover from tonsil surgery .

When The Weeknd first announced the postponement of his After Hours arena tour, he wrote on Instagram that he wanted “to do something bigger and special for you which requires special stadiums.” It appears he did just that as a press release teases the new show will be “creating worlds within worlds [...] bringing these first two pieces of his trilogy to life.”

So far, only the dates for the North American leg of the tour have been released. Subsequent dates in Mexico, South America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East will be announced soon.

In the meantime, check out everything we know about attending the After Hours Til Dawn 2022 tour, including the announced dates so far, performance venues, and how to score tickets.

The Weeknd’s After Hours Til Dawn 2022 Tour Dates

U.s. & canada 2022 dates:.

• Fri, July 8 — Toronto, ON @ Rogers Centre
• Thu, July 14 — Philadelphia, PA @ Lincoln Financial Field
• Sat, July 16 — New York, NY @ Metlife Stadium
• Thu, July 21 — Boston, MA @ Gillette Stadium
• Sun, July 24 — Chicago, IL @ Soldier Field
• Wed, July 27 — Detroit, MI @ Ford Field
• Sat, July 30 — Washington, DC @ FedexField
• Thu, Aug. 4 — Tampa, FL @ Raymond James Stadium
• Sat, Aug. 6 — Miami, FL @ Hard Rock Stadium
• Thu, Aug. 11 — Atlanta, GA @ Mercedes-Benz Stadium
• Sun, Aug. 14 — Arlington, TX @ AT&T Stadium
• Thu, Aug. 18 — Denver, CO @ Empower Field at Mile High
• Sat, Aug. 20 — Las Vegas, NV @ Allegiant Stadium
• Tue, Aug. 23 — Vancouver, BC @ BC Place
• Thu, Aug. 25 — Seattle, WA @ Lumen Field
• Sat, Aug. 27 — San Francisco, CA @ Levi's Stadium
• Tue, Aug. 30 — Phoenix, AZ @ State Farm Stadium
• Fri, Sept. 2 — Los Angeles, CA @ SoFi Stadium

Who is opening The Weeknd’s 2022 Tour?

Following Doja Cat’s withdrawal from the tour, The Weeknd has tapped Kaytranada, Snoh Allegra and Mike Dean as openers.

How to buy tickets to The Weeknd’s 2022 Tour

Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Thursday, March 10, 2022 at 10 a.m. local time. But before then, a slew of pre-sales will be available for qualifying fans to score tickets ahead of time.

Those who previously held tickets for the postponed After Hours arena tour in North America will have access to a special presale kicking off March 4. Those eligible will receive an email prior to the date with more information.

Verizon will offer an exclusive presale for the tour beginning on Monday, March 7 at 10 a.m. local time through Wednesday, March 9 at 10 p.m. local time. Those eligible will be required to connect their Verizon account to their Ticketmaster account to complete their purchase.

Finally, Spotify will offer a Fans First presale for The Weeknd’s top streams starting March 8.

The Weeknd has partnered with the United Nations World Food Programme, the largest humanitarian organization fighting global hunger, to donate $1 of every ticket sold in North America. Additionally, The Weeknd will contribute $500,000, and the Whole Food Program USA will contribute $1 million to the fund.

This article was originally published on March 3, 2022

The Weeknd Sets ‘After Hours Til Dawn’ North American Stadium Tour

By Daniel Kreps

Daniel Kreps

The Weeknd has finally detailed the new dates for his long-postponed North American tour, with the singer set to embark on his first-ever stadium tour this summer.

The first leg of the After Hours Til Dawn Tour begins July 8 with a hometown gig at Toronto’s Rogers Centre. After that, Abel Tesfaye will return to the football stadium confines of his Super Bowl halftime performance for 17 more shows at NFL venues spanning from Philadelphia to Los Angeles.

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The Weeknd’s trek, then the After Hours World Tour, was originally set for 2020  and then  postponed until 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic; it was next rescheduled for early 2022 before the Weeknd opted to push the dates back again in order to bring his live experience to football stadiums.

Now dubbed the After Hours Til Dawn tour to incorporate his new LP Dawn FM , the first leg of the jaunt will now also feature Doja Cat as special guest. Check out the Weeknd’s site for ticket information.

The singer also launched his XO humanitarian fund in conjunction with the United Nations World Food Programme. The singer will donate one dollar from each ticket in addition to a $500,000 donation from the singer and an additional $1 million donation from World Food Program USA.

The Weeknd Tour Dates July 8 – Toronto, ON @ Rogers Centre July 14 – Philadelphia, PA @ Lincoln Financial Field July 16 – New York, NY @ Metlife Stadium July 21 – Boston, MA @ Gillette Stadium July 24 – Chicago, IL @ Soldier Field July 27 – Detroit, MI @ Ford Field July 30 – Washington, DC @ FedexField August 4 – Tampa, FL @ Raymond James Stadium August 6 – Miami, FL @ Hard Rock Stadium August 11 – Atlanta, GA @ Mercedes-Benz Stadium August 14 – Arlington, TX @ AT&T Stadium August 18 – Denver, CO @ Empower Field at Mile High August 20 – Las Vegas, NV @ Allegiant Stadium August 23 – Vancouver, BC @ BC Place August 25 – Seattle, WA @ Lumen Field August 27 – San Francisco, CA @ Levi’s Stadium August 30 – Phoenix, AZ @ State Farm Stadium September 2 – Los Angeles, CA @ SoFi Stadium

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The weeknd is taking his after hours til dawn tour global.

The singer also made a $5 million donation to the United Nations World Food Programme.

By DeMicia Inman

DeMicia Inman

Staff Writer, News

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The Weeknd has revealed dates for the global leg of his After Hours Til Dawn stadium tour. Set to kick off in 2023, the expansion covers Europe and Latin America with stops in Stockholm, Amsterdam, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro and more before wrapping up in Santiago, Chile. Additional dates are still being announced according to a press release.

Through a personal donation of $500,000, funds raised through ticket sales, proceeds from an exclusive tour t-shirt, tour sponsor Binance’s $2 million contribution and additional partnerships, the award-winning performer was able to donate millions to the cause he represents.

An initial $2 million grant will be going toward providing emergency food and nutrition assistance to the most food-insecure regions of Ethiopia, reaching more than 75,000 people. The Weeknd presented a check to World Food Program USA during a private event at his After Hours Til Dawn concert last weekend (Nov. 27) in Los Angeles.  

“We are deeply appreciative and humbled by The Weeknd’s steadfast support, as well as that of his loyal fans and partners,” expressed Barron Segar, World Food Program USA president and CEO. “Abel is an inspiration to us all, and through his efforts, thousands of families will have food security and hope for a better future.”   

The Weeknd And SZA May Finally Release Their “Die For You” Remix

The Weeknd will be joined by Kaytranada and Mike Dean on all European dates. The After Hours Till Dawn tour highlights music from The Weeknd’s 2020 album After Hours as well as his acclaimed 2022 release Dawn FM.

The “Starboy” singer will also continue his partnership with the U.N. World Food Programme to contribute funds from the worldwide trek to the XO Humanitarian Fund. €1 from each ticket sold across Europe, £1 in the UK, and the $1 equivalent in countries across Latin America will be donated to this important cause.

Additional ticketing information for The Weeknd’s global tour can be found on the official website. Take a listen to Dawn FM below.

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Mike Dean Reveals How He Became The Weeknd's Opening Act On the 'After Hours' Tour

The legendary producer said the opportunity presented itself during an Instagram Live stream.

Mike Dean  revealed how he landed a gig opening for  The Weeknd  on his After Hours Till Dawn tour in 2023. 

During a sitdown conversation with  Our Generation Music , Dean reflected on the tour and how he ended up opening for the Toronto megastar. According to Dean, the opportunity presented itself during a livestream. 

"I opened up for him on the U.S. tour last summer," said Dean. "That came about during a livestream actually. I was doing a little livestream on Instagram, and Abel was tuned in on Instagram. And he texted me during the live stream, like, 'You should just open for me.'"

He continued, "It was amazing. I get to go out, have a budget, get production, and make shit look cool... As the tour went on, I learned that I need to do a mixture of my hit songs along with the weird shit that I like to do."

View this video on YouTube

Dean and The Weeknd have a strong working relationship that goes back to the Canadian crooner's 2015 album  Beauty Behind the Madness . The legendary producer/engineer assisted with the live arrangments to several of The Weeknd's musical projects, including his 2022  Coachella  headlining performance, remixing "Starry Eyes" off  Dawn FM , contributing to the "After Hours Nightmare" Halloween Horror Nights haunted houses at Universal Studios, and more. 

Most recently, Dean co-wrote and produced the Weeknd's single "Double Fantasy" featuring Future off the soundtrack to The Weeknd's controversial HBO series  The Idol . In April, Dean also released his fourth mixtape,  4:23 , which the Weeknd co-produced. 

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Breaking: The Weeknd has cancelled his Australian tour

After postponing due to “unforeseen circumstances”, the Starboy has officially scrapped all of his sold-out shows

Nooo! After months of confusion following the announcement in November last year that the Weeknd’s After Hours Til Dawn tour was postponed due to “unforeseen circumstances”, it has just been revealed that the entire run of sold-out Aussie gigs have been cancelled.

The Weeknd (aka Abel Tesfaye) had been scheduled to play four epic shows at Marvel Stadium on December 1, 2, 4 and 5, 2023, with performances also confirmed in both Sydney and Brisbane. None of these will go ahead now, with Ticketek confirming that full refunds will be issued to all ticketholders

“Whilst we continue to work through the rescheduling process with the artist, tickets for the existing 2023 tour will be cancelled. All purchased tickets will receive a full refund,” reads a statement on the ticketing company’s website.

It’s expected that refunds will take approximately 30 days to appear in the accounts of ticketholders. And if the Weeknd does indeed decide to head Down Under again (c’mon, we gotta hold out hope), those people will be able to access a priority pre-sale purchase window for new tickets. If sitting in that stressful Ticketek waiting room is something you’d do all over again just to see the Starboy in real life, there’s a waitlist you can join here .

There’s been no word from the Weeknd himself regarding the Aussie cancellations, and he didn’t publicly comment on the initial postponement – so we’re not holding out hope for statement (or apology!).

All those tears you were saving for another day? Yep, it’s time to shed ‘em. We’ll keep you updated with new info as it comes in.

Stay in the loop: sign up for our free  Time Out Melbourne newsletter  for the best of the city, straight to your inbox. 

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The Weeknd's Australia and New Zealand tour officially cancelled after it was postponed due to 'unforeseen circumstances'

The Weeknd 's Australian and New Zealand leg of his After Hours Til Dawn tour has officially been cancelled.

The news comes months after the singer, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye , announced the tour would be postponed due to "unforeseen circumstances" in November , weeks before he was initially set to take the stage.

In an email sent out to ticketholders today by Ticketek, the ticketing company said full refunds would be issued to everyone as the company continues to "work through the rescheduling process with the artist".

READ MORE: Why Taylor wrote an album about a three-month 'fling'

READ MORE: Céline Dion's update amid battle with Stiff Person Syndrome

"Tickets will be automatically refunded in full (including refundable ticket purchases, if applicable) to the original payment method used for purchase and patrons do not need to take any action," a statement on Ticketek's website reads.

"Patrons should allow approximately 30 business days for the refund to appear in their account."

It means that anyone who held tickets to the sold-out shows would have to go through the ticket sale process again should The Weeknd decide to come to Australia in future.

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It was on November 3 when The Weeknd announced he was rescheduling his Australian and New Zealand concert dates.

He had been set to kick off his  After Hours Til Dawn 's leg Down Under in Brisbane on November 20.

"Due to unforeseen circumstances, we must reschedule the Australia/New Zealand tour," the Blinding Lights singer announced in a statement at the time.

READ MORE: Eminem marks a milestone 16 years of sobriety

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"New dates will be announced next year, and current tickets will be valid for the new shows," his November statement continued.

"Refunds will be available for those unable to attend the new dates. Deeply disappointed but can't wait to be there with you!"

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Drake and Kendrick Lamar feud explained: How rap's biggest beef is good for the culture

It's the face-off that's ignited the rap world, and put the genre back at the top of the charts after  an off year .

Drake, the most commercially successful hip hop artist of his generation, has just dropped two diss tracks aimed at Kendrick Lamar, arguably the genre's most critically revered artist (and the first rapper to win the Pulitzer Prize ).

The resurgence of Drake and Lamar's long-running feud started when Lamar dropped a pointed verse on his chart-topping single Like That.

Drake fired back at Lamar this weekend, with the release of Push Ups, which leaked online before its official release on Friday (April 19), and Taylor Made Freestyle.

After nearly a decade-long cold war, a nuclear play-off between two of hip hop's biggest competitors is underway. And it's dragged in everyone from pop A-listers Taylor Swift and The Weeknd, to AI constructions of 2Pac and Snoop Dogg.

But how did we get here? Why is it such a big deal? And could this be the best thing for the careers of everyone involved?

Here's all the answers to get you up to speed on a rivalry that shows no signs of shrinking in size or significance.

How did this beef begin?

Back in 2011, Canadian child-star-turned-rapper Aubrey Graham aka Drake (known for multi-platinum hits including Hotline Bling and One Dance) gave up-and-comer Lamar a platform on his blockbuster second album, Take Care , and made him the opener for a subsequent 2012 tour. They also joined forces for A$AP Rocky's 2012 fan favourite F**kin' Problems.

In 2013, following the breakthrough success of his major label debut good kid, m.A.A.d City, Lamar recorded a guest verse on Big Sean's track Control, where he called out Drake among the biggest rappers of the day.

"'I got love for you all/But I'm trying to murder you n****s," he declared, in a moment that up-ended the rap game.

At the 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards , Lamar memorably claimed his Control verse had "tucked a sensitive rapper back in his pyjama clothes."

Relations between Drake and Lamar have remained icy ever since, but never severe. The pair seemed content to subliminally snipe at each other, whether at public appearances or in song.

However, things have escalated drastically in recent months, and the turning point stemmed not from Drake or Lamar, but from a gesture of unity from J. Cole.

What did J. Cole say that sparked this whole thing?

Mentored by Jay-Z and seen as a peer of Lamar's (in terms of technical skill and an artsier approach to his craft), J. Cole featured on Drake's latest album, For All the Dogs, on a track called First Person Shooter.

Released on October 31, the song debuted atop the US singles chart (Drake's 13th number one, Cole's first), and saw J. Cole contemplating who the "big three" of the current rap era might be:

Love when they argue [who] the hardest MC Is it K-Dot [Kendrick]? Is it Aubrey [Drake]? Or me? We the big three, like we started a league.

Despite being intended as a loving gesture, Lamar obviously didn't like what he heard.

How did Kendrick Lamar respond?

On March 22, producer Metro Boomin and rapper Future (both previous collaborators of Drake's) released We Don't Trust You — the first in a pair of collaborative albums.

The record's most explosive moment was on Like That, which featured a surprise verse from an uncredited Kendrick Lamar. It was an aggressively targeted response to First Person Shooter and J. Cole, who, to this point, nobody thought Lamar had an issue with.

"Motherf**k the big three, n****/It's just big me," he furiously declared among several other layered lyrical shots, including describing himself as Prince to Drake's Michael Jackson.

The verse not only set the internet ablaze with chatter but saw Like That debut at number one on the US charts. The track even managed to keep songs from Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter from reaching the top spot the following week, and has now spent three weeks in pole position.

In the wake of the Like That bombshell, everyone wondered when Drake would fire back. Aside from some testy stage banter on tour, the first real response came not from Drake but Cole.

J. Cole enters (then swiftly exits) the fight

On April 5, two weeks after Like That, J. Cole dropped a surprise mixtape, Might Delete Later (remember that title).

He replied to Kendrick's verse on a track called 7 Minute Drill.

"They say that somebody dissin'," Cole raps before critiquing Kendrick Lamar's discography and comparing it to The Simpsons' drop-off in quality over many years.

Your third s*** [album] was massive and that was your prime I was trailin' right behind and I just now hit mine.

His most controversial fighting words? "Your second s*** [album] put n****s to sleep, but they gassed it."

Many questioned Cole's dismissal of Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly – one of the most critically revered albums of the 21st century.

Less than two days later however, Cole walked back his comments.

Speaking on stage at his own Dreamville festival in North Carolina on April 7, he called 7 Minute Drill "the lamest shit I ever did in my f**king life" and explained how he felt conflicted recording a response to begin with.

"I know how I feel about my peers, these two n****s that I just been blessed to even stand beside in this game [Drake and Kendrick Lamar], let alone… chase they greatness, right? So, I felt conflicted 'cause I'm like, 'bruh, I know I don't really feel no way.' But the world wanna see blood!"

Cole bowed out of the fight and – true to his word on stage – later removed 7 Minute Drill from music streaming platforms. But when he exited the ring, Drake was finally ready to step in.

Drake hits back at Kendrick, and everyone else

On April 13, a track leaked online that some speculated was AI-generated, before industry figures confirmed what we know now is true: Push Ups is Drake's diss track back at Lamar.

Officially released on April 19, the track savages Lamar's height (we'll save you a Google: Drake stands at 6'22''/1.82 metres to Kendrick's 5'6''/1.65m).

"How the f**k you been steppin' with a size seven men's on?" Drake raps, and later refers to Lamar as a "midget" and "pipsqueak". The single artwork is also a reference to shoe size.

Additionally, Drake shuts down Lamar's "it's just big me" claim: "Pipsqueak, pipe down/You ain't in no big three/SZA got you wiped down/Travis got you wiped down/[21] Savage got you wiped down."

He also picks up Lamar's Prince versus Michael Jackson analogy, and flips it to remind us that MJ was the King of Pop: "What's a prince to a king? He a son."

Lamar isn't Drake's only target, though. "What the f**k is this, a 20-v-1?' he raps.

He spits back at Future ("I could never be nobody number one fan/Your first number one, I had to put in your hand"), Metro Boomin ("Shut your ho ass up and make some drums"), The Weeknd (belittling his management and dominance in Toronto) and former collaborator Rick Ross.

"Can't believe he jumpin' in, this n**** turnin' 50/Every song that made it on the chart, he got from Drizzy."

Ross, who's frequently teamed up with Drake over the years, did not take that lightly. He swiftly jumped in the booth and dropped his own diss track on April 15, called Champagne Moments .

Among a torrent of "white boy" insults at Drake (who is mixed-race), Ross accuses him of getting a nose job and using ghostwriters (an allegation that's followed him for many years).

Ross also kept up an unrelenting series of attacks on social media around the release of the track, tagging each post with #BBLDrizzy – referring to the cosmetic procedure and Drake's nickname.

Drake further taunts Kendrick via his mentors

On April 19, within hours of releasing Push Ups, Drake shared another diss on X, titled Taylor Made Freestyle .

Drake mocks Lamar by accusing him of not responding to Push Ups because of Taylor Swift's rollout of The Tortured Poets Department.

"Now we gotta wait a f***ing week/'cause Taylor Swift is your new top/And if you 'bout to drop, she gotta approve."

More incendiary, however, is Drake using AI voice filters to taunt Lamar via verses made to sound like two of his spiritual forebears: Tupac "2Pac" Shakur and Snoop Dogg.

In the opening verse, the artificial 2Pac goads Lamar into firing back at Drake.

"Kendrick, we need ya, the West Coast saviour/Engraving your name in some hip-hop history,"' the voice raps.

It's an evocation intended to cut deep; Lamar has been outspoken about the late 2Pac being his idol. To Pimp a Butterfly closes with Kendrick staging a conversation with the late Shakur via archival audio from the Californian rapper.

The second AI-generated verse uses the voice of Snoop Dogg, the west coast rap legend who, in 2011, gave a speech at LA's House of Blues where he formally passed the torch to a visibly emotional Lamar .

But this AI Snoop questions Lamar's street credentials: "I know you never been to jail or wore jumpsuits and shower shoes/Never shot nobody, never stabbed nobody…" He also "urges" Kendrick not to let their city down: "World is watching this chess game, but are you out of moves?"

What happens next?

Well, the next logical step is for Lamar to respond with his own diss track. Purists will swear black and blue he's capable of rapping circles around Drake, and, of course, Drizzy diehards believe the opposite.

The reality is, we're dealing with two music titans coming at this with very different approaches. They're in the same sporting arena but playing completely different ball games.

Drake is a blockbuster artist driven by success, and no amount of critical or cultural blowback seems to affect his success. Lamar, on the other hand, has built his identity on seemingly prioritising artistry over popularity.

Ultimately, this beef blowing up is the best thing that could've happened to both artists. And don't be surprised if they'll want to drag this out as much as possible.

Even Drake's biggest admirers would admit he's been in a holding pattern on recent releases, dropping lengthy "photo dump" projects to continue his dominance of playlists and charts rather than focusing on fully realised artistic statements.

The strategy is clearly working: He hasn't left the public consciousness or the pointy end of the US charts for more than a decade.

By contrast, Lamar's fans will argue that good things take time. Lamar is much more picky about his output, taking longer between albums and making his guest spots more rare. He's arguably the tortoise to Drake's hare, ultimately playing the long game.

It's not a perfect analogy, but it'd be like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé going toe-to-toe: They're both superstars with unique strengths that don't necessarily compare or align.

Besides, competitively bragging and trading insults has been part of rap's DNA since the birth of hip hop. Rap beef culture is a time-honoured tradition, a space where artists, regardless of their profile or identity, can operate in the same arena and flex their skills.

Drake versus Kendrick is the match-up people have been dreaming of for years, and, whatever happens next, one thing's for sure: This is good for the culture.

It's an aggressive rallying cry to the wider rap world to up their game.

As I previously wrote when Lamar topped triple j's Hottest 100 with what was his first-ever solo US number one, HUMBLE.: "It's a 'cruel to be kind' pep talk, calling out rappers to get back to the business of honing their craft, to be their best. He's hating the players for the love of the game."

• X (formerly Twitter)

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Tour Details

Moscow metro tour: architectural styles of the subway.

Duration: 2 hours

Categories: Culture & History, Sightseeing

This metro tour of Russia’s capital and most populous city, Moscow, is your chance to get a unique insight into the beautiful and impressive architecture of the city's underground stations. Admire their marble walls and high ceilings representing Stalin's desire for glory after World War 2, and see first-hand how the interiors change with the rise of new political eras. Your guide will lead you through the complex network, which is one of the most heavily used rapid transit systems worldwide, with over two billion travelers in 2011.

Opened in 1935, Moscow’s underground system, now 190 miles (305 km) long with 185 stations, is today one the largest and most heavily used rapid transit systems in the world. On this Moscow metro tour, discover the impressive architecture of Moscow’s underground stations and learn how they reflect the Soviet era.

Getting around by metro, your local guide will take you through parts of Moscow’s infamous history. Stop at stations built during the time of the USSR (Soviet Union) that are praised as one of the most extravagant architectural projects from Stalin’s time. After World War 2, he was keen on establishing Stalinist architecture to represent his rising regime and a recognized empire. Learn how when his successor started the de-Stalinization of the former Soviet Union in 1953, the extravagancy of the architecture was toned down.

Discover how the unique character of each station reflected several different eras. While stations like Kievskaya and Slavyansky Bulvar have pompous halls and high stucco ceilings brimming with extravagant decorations, those built later, like Volzhskaya, are lightly adorned with sparse furnishings. Architect Alexey Dushkin and painter Alexander Deyneka were just two of the many artists who made these magnificent landmarks possible.

Revel in Moscow's glory days, as well as the years of scarcity, on this fascinating Moscow metro experience. Conclude your tour at one of the central stations in Moscow. If you're lucky, you may even find the secret entrance to the unconfirmed Metro-2, a parallel underground system used by the government -- a mystery which has neither been denied nor confirmed today.

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Culture Shock Rating

We have a wide range of tours designed to give you an insight into the destination you're travelling in and there is something for everybody. The culture shock ratings considers the destination visited, transport used, activities undertaken and that "Wow, I'm really not at home now!" factor. While generalisations are always tricky, a summary of our gradings is as follows…

This is the least confronting of our tour range. Transport used on the trip is either private or a very comfortable public option, the activities included are usually iconic sites and locations that are not all too confronting.

The tour can include a mix of private and public transport providing a level of comfort that is slightly below what you would experience at home. Sites visited are usually iconic sites, tours can also include market visits, visits to communities etc that provide the traveller with a fantastic insight into destination.

Expect to rough it for parts of this tour, whether it's a packed public bus where you are forced to stand, a visit to a local market, a local community, you are sure to have an experience that is very different from what you're used to at home.

The comforts of your home town and the environment you are used to are more of a rarity. Expect some challenging transport options, visits to local sites and areas that don't resemble anything at home.

You're out there in the global community! You are likely to be exposed to the elements, travel in whatever means of transport is available and basically take it as it comes, whatever comes! It can be tough.

Physical Rating

Our physical rating gives you an idea of how much huffing and puffing you can expect on the tour. While generalisations are always tricky, a summary of our gradings is as follows…

These tours have very limited physical activity. Usually climbing in and out of the transport provided, walking through sites, markets etc included in the itinerary.

These tours have a bit of physical activity but nothing that should challenge you too much. This could be climbing on and off public transport through to a walk through the destination you're travelling in, they can include walking only tours or a combination of walking and transport.

These tours involve a bit of physical activity from walking up and down hills in the destination you're travelling in or the surrounding areas. Climbing on and off local transport or riding a bike up to 30 kms along predominantly flat terrain or jumping in a kayak for a gentle paddle on flat water.

These Tours will provide you with some solid physical activity. Whether its bike riding, walking, trekking, kayaking or riding on public transport you will need to have a good level of fitness to enjoy this tour.

Be prepared for some serious physical activity. These tours are our most challenging and involve some serious walking, hiking or bike riding. Can involve step climbs by foot or pedal and some challenging public transport options in the destination you are travelling.

Luxury Rating

Some trips are like a stroll on the beach, while others have you trekking alpine passes. Some of you thrive on camping out on the savannah, while others may prefer a hot shower and a comfortable bed in a lodge. Follow the grading systems below to find the right trip for you.

To help you choose the trip that's right for you, we've broken all of our trips down into four service levels. Measuring the comfort level of the accommodation and transport. So whether you're travelling on a budget and want to save money by using public transport, or prefer upgraded accommodation and are happy to pay a little more, then we have a level for you.

This is grassroots travel at its most interesting

Authentic experiences with some of the comforts of home

For those who like to travel in comfort

All the unique experiences wrapped up with a gold ribbon

• Preplanned tours
• Daytrips out of Moscow
• Themed tours
• Customized tours
• St. Petersburg

Moscow Metro

The Moscow Metro Tour is included in most guided tours’ itineraries. Opened in 1935, under Stalin’s regime, the metro was not only meant to solve transport problems, but also was hailed as “a people’s palace”. Every station you will see during your Moscow metro tour looks like a palace room. There are bright paintings, mosaics, stained glass, bronze statues… Our Moscow metro tour includes the most impressive stations best architects and designers worked at - Ploshchad Revolutsii, Mayakovskaya, Komsomolskaya, Kievskaya, Novoslobodskaya and some others.

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The guide will not only help you navigate the metro, but will also provide you with fascinating background tales for the images you see and a history of each station.

And there some stories to be told during the Moscow metro tour! The deepest station - Park Pobedy - is 84 metres under the ground with the world longest escalator of 140 meters. Parts of the so-called Metro-2, a secret strategic system of underground tunnels, was used for its construction.

During the Second World War the metro itself became a strategic asset: it was turned into the city's biggest bomb-shelter and one of the stations even became a library. 217 children were born here in 1941-1942! The metro is the most effective means of transport in the capital.

There are almost 200 stations 196 at the moment and trains run every 90 seconds! The guide of your Moscow metro tour can explain to you how to buy tickets and find your way if you plan to get around by yourself.

Moscow Metro Tour

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Description

Moscow metro private tours.

• 2-hour tour $87:  10 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with hotel pick-up and drop-off
• 3-hour tour $137:  20 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with Russian lunch in beautifully-decorated Metro Diner + hotel pick-up and drop off. 
• Metro pass is included in the price of both tours.

Highlight of Metro Tour

• Visit 10 must-see stations of Moscow metro on 2-hr tour and 20 Metro stations on 3-hr tour, including grand Komsomolskaya station with its distinctive Baroque décor, aristocratic Mayakovskaya station with Soviet mosaics, legendary Revolution Square station with 72 bronze sculptures and more!
• Explore Museum of Moscow Metro and learn a ton of technical and historical facts;
• Listen to the secrets about the Metro-2, a secret line supposedly used by the government and KGB;
• Experience a selection of most striking features of Moscow Metro hidden from most tourists and even locals;
• Discover the underground treasure of Russian Soviet past – from mosaics to bronzes, paintings, marble arches, stained glass and even paleontological elements;
• Learn fun stories and myths about Coffee Ring, Zodiac signs of Moscow Metro and more;
• Admire Soviet-era architecture of pre- and post- World War II perious;
• Enjoy panoramic views of Sparrow Hills from Luzhniki Metro Bridge – MetroMost, the only station of Moscow Metro located over water and the highest station above ground level;
• If lucky, catch a unique «Aquarelle Train» – a wheeled picture gallery, brightly painted with images of peony, chrysanthemums, daisies, sunflowers and each car unit is unique;
• Become an expert at navigating the legendary Moscow Metro system;
• Have fun time with a very friendly local;
• + Atmospheric Metro lunch in Moscow’s the only Metro Diner (included in a 3-hr tour)

Hotel Pick-up

Metro stations:.

Komsomolskaya

Novoslobodskaya

Prospekt Mira

Belorusskaya

Mayakovskaya

Novokuznetskaya

Revolution Square

Sparrow Hills

+ for 3-hour tour

Victory Park

Slavic Boulevard

Vystavochnaya

Dostoevskaya

Elektrozavodskaya

Partizanskaya

Museum of Moscow Metro

• Drop-off  at your hotel, Novodevichy Convent, Sparrow Hills or any place you wish
• + Russian lunch  in Metro Diner with artistic metro-style interior for 3-hour tour

Fun facts from our Moscow Metro Tours:

From the very first days of its existence, the Moscow Metro was the object of civil defense, used as a bomb shelter, and designed as a defense for a possible attack on the Soviet Union.

At a depth of 50 to 120 meters lies the second, the coded system of Metro-2 of Moscow subway, which is equipped with everything you need, from food storage to the nuclear button.

According to some sources, the total length of Metro-2 reaches over 150 kilometers.

The Museum was opened on Sportivnaya metro station on November 6, 1967. It features the most interesting models of trains and stations.

Coffee Ring

The first scheme of Moscow Metro looked like a bunch of separate lines. Listen to a myth about Joseph Stalin and the main brown line of Moscow Metro.

Zodiac Metro

According to some astrologers, each of the 12 stops of the Moscow Ring Line corresponds to a particular sign of the zodiac and divides the city into astrological sector.

Astrologers believe that being in a particular zadiac sector of Moscow for a long time, you attract certain energy and events into your life.

Paleontological finds 

Red marble walls of some of the Metro stations hide in themselves petrified inhabitants of ancient seas. Try and find some!

• Every day each car in  Moscow metro passes  more than 600 km, which is the distance from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
• Moscow subway system is the  5th in the intensity  of use (after the subways of Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai).
• The interval in the movement of trains in rush hour is  90 seconds .

What you get:

• + A friend in Moscow.
• + Private & customized Moscow tour.
• + An exciting pastime, not just boring history lessons.
• + An authentic experience of local life.
• + Flexibility during the walking tour: changes can be made at any time to suit individual preferences.
• + Amazing deals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the very best cafes & restaurants. Discounts on weekdays (Mon-Fri).
• + A photo session amongst spectacular Moscow scenery that can be treasured for a lifetime.
• + Good value for souvenirs, taxis, and hotels.
• + Expert advice on what to do, where to go, and how to make the most of your time in Moscow.

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