The Weeknd may be one of the biggest pop stars in the world, but he’s still knocking out major milestones. On Thursday, May 15, The Weeknd — whose real name is Abel Tesfaye — will appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. And believe it or not, this is actually his first late night interview.
The interview comes as The Weeknd’s tour, The Weeknd After Hours Til Dawn, kicks off this Saturday, May 10. The interview will also precede the premiere of his new movie Hurry Up Tomorrow, which stars Jenna Ortega, Barry Keoghan, and The Weeknd himself. The movie premieres on Friday, May 16, and serves as the cinematic accompaniment to the Hurry Up Tomorrow album.
The Weeknd’s Late Night History
Though The Weeknd has never done a late-night interview, he has performed on late-night television a handful of times in his career. Back in January, he performed the Hurry Up Tomorrow cut of “Open Hearts” on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. In 2019, he kicked off the After Hours era with performances of “Blinding Lights” and “Heartless” on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He also performed “Blinding Lights” on Kimmel back in 2020. Back in 2016, months after the release of his second album, Beauty Behind the Madness, he performed “In The Night” on Fallon, with a surprise appearance by Lauryn Hill.
One of his earliest late-night appearances came in 2013, when he performed “Pretty” from his debut album Kiss Land on The Late Show with David Letterman. An elusive figure, The Weeknd rarely does interviews, but with several big projects underway, fans are excited for him to share all the details and behind-the-scenes stories. In a January 2024 interview with Variety, The Weeknd revealed that Hurry Up Tomorrow, as well as the After Hours album trilogy, and his controversial HBO series The Idol, were inspired by the drama of fame, which he’s worked hard to avoid over the course of his illustrious career.
“People get consumed, especially now, by the concept of being famous,” The Weeknd said. “And I’m not good at being famous — I never will be. I’ve always been reserved. I don’t like going out, and I never wanted to be the face of the music; I wanted to write for other musicians. I have no desire to be great at that part of it, and I don’t put myself out there as much as a lot of my peers — not to take away from them. I really do think it is a talent in its own right. But I’ve been lucky enough to not have to do that.”
Fans can tune into the interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday, May 15, at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
- Release Date
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May 16, 2025
- Runtime
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116 minutes
- Director
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Trey Edward Shults
- Writers
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Reza Fahim, Trey Edward Shults, The Weeknd
- Producers
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Kevin Turen, Harrison Huffman, Jenna Ortega, The Weeknd, Michael Rapino, Harrison Kreiss, Ryan Kroft
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