How Proteus lit up the Weeknd’s 2025 summer stadium tour

Stadiums turned into sci-fi dreamscapes as Jason Baeri and Elation’s Proteus fixtures power The Weeknd’s summer tour, blending bold visuals with choreography

The Weeknd’s record-setting After Hours ’til Dawn tour continued throughout the summer. Lighting and production designer Jason Baeri used Elation’s IP-rated Proteus Hybrid Max and Proteus Rayzor Blade L to support the avant-garde conceptual production. The 2025 summer leg wrapped in early September after a four-month run playing some of the largest stadiums across North America.

Initially launched in 2022, the tour finally evolved into an epic spectacle with set extensions and expanded production elements in 2025. Drawing on themes of renewal and transformation, the staging was grand, featuring a T-shaped central runway, auxiliary stages and a massive LED screen.

Jason Baeri, who has been a key member of The Weeknd’s creative team since 2015, worked collaboratively to create a cohesive visual environment for the tour. Baeri selected two Elation fixtures for his design, the Proteus Hybrid Max and Proteus Rayzor Blade L.

A total of 100 Proteus Hybrid Max fixtures were deployed on audience platforms. “The Hybrid Max is the ultimate stadium spot,” Baeri stated. “They were in just about every song in some way, either washing the crowd or doing endless beam looks, cutting through all the stage elements.”

Needing something bright to line the massive LED screen, the designer integrated 70 Proteus Rayzor Blade L linear tilt FX bars into the show. This LED-based device with zoom functioned as a wash, strobe or FX light and outputs up to 11,000 lumens.

The After Hours ‘til Dawn tour ranks among the most popular concert tours of all time, with shows extending into 2026 – a testament to the Weeknd and his creative team. This success is also reflected in other Elation projects, such as Untold Festival, showing the versatility of Proteus lights.

Find out more at elationlighting.com