This singer just crushed Elton John’s touring record

The record books have a new king.

His name is The Weeknd.

With the conclusion of his After Hours Til Dawn stadium tour and a $1.3 billion tally, The Weeknd can claim the highest-grossing tour by a male artist in history.

The tour spanned 176 shows across 67 cities, 30 countries and five continents.

The enigmatic pop/R&B superstar surpasses Elton John, whose Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour earned $939 million from 330 shows worldwide between 2018 and 2023.

The Weeknd's achievement, confirmed by tour promoter Live Nation, ranks as the third biggest concert tour in history.

Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour is not only the topline for the biggest female tour, but also the highest-grossing concert tour of all time, with $2 billion in revenue from 149 shows in 2023-24.

Coldplay comes in second on the all-time list with more than $1.5 billion.

Their Music of the Sphere World Tour – currently on pause after 225 shows – is also the highest-grossing band tour, with more dates expected for 2027.

The Weeknd wrapped his tour, which began in July 2022, on Nov. 4 at TM Stadium National in Kuala Lumpur.

The finale followed 16 other sold-out stadium shows across Asia, including three nights in Bangkok and four nights in Hong Kong.

Since its inception, the tour moved more than 9 million tickets as it traveled across North America, Europe, the UK, Latin America and Australia.

The Weeknd also set records in Toronto: the most performances by a male solo artist at Rogers Centre, with six.

He set records in Los Angeles: the most performances and highest gross by a male artist at SoFi Stadium, with seven.

He set records in France: the first artist to sell out six nights at Stade de France in Paris on a single tour.

Along with its tremendous commercial success, the tour impacted communities worldwide.

The Weeknd donated $8.5 million to his XO Humanitarian Fund as well as Global Citizen, which supports global hunger relief and access to quality education for children worldwide.

The Weeknd released "Hurry Up Tomorrow" in 2025, the final chapter in the trilogy that includes "After Hours" (2020) and "Dawn FM" (2022).

His 2019 hit "Blinding Lights" is the most streamed song on Spotify, surpassing 5 billion streams.

It is also Billboard's No. 1 on the Hot 100 songs of the 21st Century chart.

Elton John, meanwhile, has been in the news for a different reason.

He recently teamed up with Irish singer-songwriter CMAT for a reimagined version of his holiday classic "Step Into Christmas."

The collaboration was released as an Amazon Music exclusive.

"I've loved CMAT since I first heard her and saw her videos years ago," Elton John said in a statement.

"She has this incredible personality and a wicked sense of humor. You can tell she has rock & roll and country and Americana at the heart of what she does — we're kindred spirits in so many ways."

"And that's why I was so thrilled with the idea of us collaborating on 'Step into Christmas.' She's done an amazing job," he added.

CMAT said, "It doesn't matter how old or famous I become — whenever I listen to Elton John I will always be 7 years old in the back of my mam's car."

"Reconciling this feeling with the reality of getting to work with the man in question has been confusing to say the least, but the greatest joy of my life," she said.

Amazon Music U.K. topper Laura Lukanz also weighed in.

"To have the opportunity to reimagine such a beloved, iconic track is a genuine thrill, and to do it with two artists as extraordinary as Elton John and CMAT makes it truly magical," she said.

"Their chemistry is undeniable, and this new version honors everything people love about the original while bringing something fresh and joyful for a whole new generation of fans to treasure," she added.

Despite losing the male solo touring record, Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour remains a monumental achievement.

It spanned five years, from 2018 to 2023, and played 330 shows worldwide.

It earned $939 million, a figure that stood as the male solo record until The Weeknd surpassed it.

The Weeknd's After Hours Til Dawn tour began in July 2022.

It concluded on Nov. 4, 2026, in Kuala Lumpur.

The tour's $1.3 billion gross places it behind only Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour ($2 billion) and Coldplay's Music of the Spheres World Tour ($1.5 billion).

Coldplay's tour is currently on pause after 225 shows, with more dates expected for 2027.

The Weeknd's record is confirmed by tour promoter Live Nation.

It is the third biggest concert tour in history by gross revenue.

The question now is whether any other male artist can challenge The Weeknd's new benchmark.

Elton John held the record for years.

The Weeknd has reset the bar at $1.3 billion.

For now, he sits alone at the top of the male solo touring mountain.