The Weeknd has secured an official sponsor for his first stadium tour and in doing so becomes the first artist to integrate Web 3.0 tech into a global concert tour.
Binance this week announced the news that it is linking up with the Canadian performer for his After Hours Til Dawn Tour to provide “an enhanced fan experience.” Said “experience” will manifest in a number of ways, including via a collaboration with The Weeknd’s creative incubator HXOUSE to produce an exclusive NFT collection and co-branded branded merch.
The world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange will also help to create commemorative NFTs accessible via the tour’s virtual ticket stubs.
To kick off the tour with a charitable bang, The Weeknd’s own XO Humanitarian Fund that benefits the United Nations-operated World Food Program USA will receive a $2-million donation from Binance, plus five percent of sales of all specially drafted NFTs produced by the collaboration.
Like all NFTs, however, the value of those and the ticket stub offerings could be $0, $10,000, or both depending on the day. Binance’s release on the topic includes a “risk warning” touting crypto’s “high market risk” and absolving the exchange of all responsibility from trade losses.
“Binance is all about the community, about people, about inclusion. I was impressed by their focus on users and innovative edge,” said The Weeknd. “It made perfect sense to work together and I can’t wait for fans to experience crypto within a creative avenue while supporting a good cause. There are so many possibilities with crypto and I think this is just the beginning.”
The After Hours Til Dawn Tour, which was delayed due to the pandemic, will debut in Toronto at the Rogers Centre on July 8 and go on to 16 more stops in the U.S. and one in Vancouver. Dates for international performances should be announced this month.
If you’re planning to attend one of The Weeknd’s tour stops, get hyped by checking out our ranked list of all his work to date.