The Weeknd Cancels Rose Bowl Stadium Concert, Postpones Album Release

With thousands of firefighters still battling two large fires in Los Angeles County, The Weeknd announced Monday afternoon the cancelation of his one-night-only show at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California, as well as the postponement of his latest studio album, Hurry Up Tomorrow.

The Live Nation-promoted concert scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 25, was produced to celebrate the release of his sixth LP and first in three years. Hurry Up Tomorrow will now drop a week later on Jan. 31.

“Out of respect and concern for the people of Los Angeles County, I am canceling the Rose Bowl concert originally scheduled for January 25^th,” The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, wrote on social media. “This city has always been a profound source of inspiration for me, and my thoughts are with everyone impacted during this difficult time. In light of this, I have also decided to push the release of my album to Jan. 31^st. My focus remains on supporting the recovery of these communities and aiding its incredible people as they rebuild. With love, Abel.”

The Palisades and Eaton fires in Los Angeles have burned more than 37,000 acres, and officials estimate that at least 12,000 structures have been either damaged or destroyed, including many homes. As of Monday night, the Palisades fire on the west side of LA was 14% contained and the Eaton blaze in the Pasadena area was 33% contained. Though the figures indicate progress in combatting the blazes, fire officials are bracing for strong winds early this week, which many fear could spark additional flames.

The Weeknd began promoting his soon-to-be-released album last summer with a special concert at MorumBIS in São Paulo, Brazil. The Canadian singer performed nine songs from Hurry Up Tomorrow and had Brazilian star Anitta join him for the song “São Paulo,” which is the LP’s third single (the first two singles released were “Dancing in the Flames” and “Timeless”). One tune that he sang in Brazil and may be on the new album is titled “Take Me Back to LA,” which may be a reason why The Weeknd wanted to perform in Southern California.

Tesafaye will also release a psychological thriller movie based on the album and will share the same title. He co-wrote the film and will star in the project alongside Jenna Ortega, Academy Award-nominated actor Barry Keoghan and country singer Gabby Barrett. “Hurry Up Tomorrow” will hit theaters on May 16.

The Weeknd is repped by Creative Artist Agency’s Darryl Eaton and managed by SALXCO Management. A reliable touring draw, The Weeknd finished No. 9 on Pollstar‘s year-end charts in 2023, earning $220,985,529 at the box-office from a ticket total of 2.2 million.