The only thing more extravagant and elaborate than the releases of The Weeknd‘s two back-to-back stellar albums After Hours (2020) and Dawn FM (2022) have been their subsequent promotion campaigns. Along with embarking on a tour this summer to perform songs from both of these albums live, which was originally an After Hours tour delayed because of COVID-19, The Weeknd has provided several other avenues for fans to experience his art.
Included in these promo tactics is his all new attraction coming to Universal Studios amusement parks in Orlando and Hollywood this fall. On July 26, Abel announced his “After Hours Nightmare” experience that will be featured during Universal’s annual “Halloween Horror Nights.”
This experience will last from Sept. 2 – Halloween in Orlando and Sept. 8 – Halloween in Los Angeles. While the details of the event are not specified, they will surely tie in the music and themes of After Hours, as The Weeknd explained in a press release that the haunted house will include gauze-wrapped zombies similar to the ones from his 2021 Super Bowl LV Halftime Show performance.
“I always wanted my own Halloween Horror Nights haunted house as Halloween has always been significant to my music, so this is a total dream come to life,” he said. “I feel like my music videos have served as a launching pad for a collaboration like this, and I cannot wait for people to experience this madness!”
Simultaneously with this announcement, a trailer for the attraction was released on YouTube showing a skit where a girl in the bathroom experiences a scary encounter with a man in a red suit, much like the one worn by The Weeknd while he promoted After Hours.
One day after “Halloween Horror Nights” begins in Orlando, The Weeknd will wrap up his “After Hours Til Dawn Tour” in Los Angeles, where he is joined by Snoh Aalegra, Kaytranada and Mike Dean, considering Doja Cat had to back out of the tour.
After Hours has been in rotation and promotion for over two years now, and The Weeknd’s “After Hours Nightmare” adds yet another dimension to one of the most impressive albums in his entire discography.
