#SHOWBIZ: Blinding Lights, gridlock nights: The Weeknd hits KL, but fans left stranded

KUALA LUMPUR: The Weeknd's concert concluded around 1am in Kuala Lumpur, leaving a chaotic scene. A frustrated concert attendee shared their experience on X, revealing the difficulties faced by fans in the aftermath of the event. Canadian R&B artist Abel Tesfaye, known as The Weeknd, put on a captivating performance during the grand finale of his After Hours Til Dawn Tour.

However, the night after the show turned into a nightmare for thousands of attendees. Travel advisories had advised fans to use public transportation, but with the concert extending past midnight, trains had already stopped running before the massive crowd exited the venue. E-hailing services at the Endah Parade hub were overwhelmed with surge pricing and a shortage of drivers, forcing many to either walk or rely on taxis in the middle of the night.

Traffic leading up to the event was also terrible, with KESAS, MEX, MRR2, and the KL-Seremban Expressway hitting standstill levels as early as 4:30 pm. Rain was forecasted for the evening, and fans parked further from the stadium faced less congestion than those stuck in the parking lots at the venue. Inside the stadium, a historic moment unfolded, marking the final stop of a world tour that had begun in 2022.

Expected to draw 130,000 fans across November 4 and 5, the tour included visitors from Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand. The multi-Grammy winner, 36-year-old Abel Tesfaye, is renowned for his unique falsetto, dark cinematic style, and chart-topping hits like Blinding Lights, Starboy, and Save Your Tears. Fans who attended the first night now have a cautionary tale: carefully plan their exit strategy, carry umbrellas for rain, and expect heavy traffic as Kuala Lumpur concludes its monumental tour.