Last night, June 11, 2025, The Weeknd came to Gillette Stadium with Playboi Carti and Mike Dean in tow. I personally, did not go! However, my concert-loving daughter did. So, for the first time ever on this little site, I offer you a guest writer and her view of the show. Enjoy!
If you needed a sign to go see The Weeknd, this is it.
The show kicked off around 7:10pm with Mike Dean, a songwriting partner of both The Weeknd and Playboi Carti. He spent the first 10 minutes on keys (smoking a cigarette) which wasn’t bad, but it felt a bit long and very loud. That said, he eventually showed off his talent with the saxophone and electric guitar, and he absolutely crushed it. He’s clearly a talented performer and songwriter, though the style just wasn’t for me. If you’re into instrumental-heavy sets with no vocals, this might be for you. He wrapped up his set around 7:40, but later returned to play backing music for The Weeknd.
Around 8:30, Playboi Carti took the stage. His set wasn’t bad, he only performed six songs, including the crowd-favorite “FE!N,” covering the parts sung by Travis Scott. Thanks to his use of flames and lights, he had a great stage presence. However, the rest of his songs were hard to make out, as he leaned heavily into yelling and mumbling, but the vibe was there. He kept the crowd engaged, repeatedly hyping them up and encouraging them to get loud and stay on their feet.
Finally, The Weeknd came on, and out of all the concerts I’ve attended, his performance was definitely the best. From start to finish, it was amazing. He used lights, flames, dancers, synchronized LED bracelets, massive screens, and a huge stage designed like a plus sign that spanned the stadium floor. This allowed him to perform directly in front of every section of the audience.
The show opened with masked dancers in front of him, only for The Weeknd to be dramatically revealed standing behind them in a mask of his own. He removed it after a few songs, which added a dramatic feel. The dancers, all in red gowns and masks, added to the surreal, cinematic feel. He was incredibly engaging with the crowd too, constantly throwing in the word “Boston” during songs (even though the show wasn’t in Boston), which he jokingly acknowledged later on, asking the crowd who there was from Boston.
At one point, he even went into the crowd, letting a fan sing one of his songs and giving her a hug, enhancing that personal feel. He brought Playboi Carti back out for their hit songs they have together, “Timeless” and “RATHER LIE,” though it was clear The Weeknd was running the show. He subtly guided Playboi Carti with hand gestures and lip-syncing his parts of the song, encouraging him to sing more clearly instead of mumble.
The Weeknd went on to perform a whopping 41 songs, with top-tier production, stunning visuals, and flawless vocals. The show ended around 11:20pm, surpassing Massachusetts’ 11pmconcert curfew. My only real critique? He didn’t use fireworks at the end. I had seen videos from other stadiums on the tour where fireworks surrounded the stadium, but that wasn’t the case at Gillette. I understand Massachusetts has strict laws on fireworks, but concerts can obtain permits, and it was a bit of a letdown knowing it had been part of every other show, and I had stayed till the end for it.
Still, that’s my only minor critique compared to the rest of the night. The performance was phenomenal, and every dollar spent felt worth it. If you’re contemplating buying those tickets to see The Weeknd, don’t hesitate. Go buy them. You definitely will not regret it.
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