The Weeknd's Wembley Fireworks Draw Criticism After UK Wildfire Alert
The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) opened the first of five nights at Wembley Stadium in London on Friday, August 14, 2026, closing the show with Moth To A Flame accompanied by a large fireworks display. Earlier that same day, the UK government had sent an emergency alert to mobile phones across England and Wales warning of a "severe" nationwide wildfire risk. The decision to proceed with fireworks anyway drew criticism online — NME reported one user saying the venue "clearly didn't get tonight's government alert."
The government alert and Wembley's response
The emergency alert told residents, landowners and visitors to avoid any activity that could start a fire, including disposable barbecues, fire pits, garden incinerators and fireworks, warning that "even a small flame can spread into a big wildfire" and put lives, homes, businesses and emergency responders at risk.
A Wembley Stadium representative told LADBible that after receiving the alert, venue staff held a meeting with Metropolitan Police and London Fire Brigade personnel who were on site. The spokesperson said the fireworks and effects that night were a "controlled performance" carried out within the stadium grounds under existing safety procedures, with all effects designed, operated and managed by professionals under the venue's fireworks policy, and a fire safety team present at every event.
On the regulatory side, the alert functioned as a safety advisory; the government simultaneously imposed a temporary ban on the sale of disposable barbecues, but took no equivalent action against fireworks. The same alert also produced a viral moment at Boomtown Festival, where thousands of phones went off simultaneously across the campsite — footage circulated online showing the crowd responding with laughter and cheers.
Five nights at Wembley, and the tour behind them
The Weeknd followed with a second Wembley show on Saturday, August 15, with three more dates to come on August 16 (Sunday), August 18 (Tuesday) and August 19 (Wednesday), rounding out a five-night stand.
- Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
- Dates: August 14 (Fri), 15 (Sat), 16 (Sun), 18 (Tue), 19 (Wed), 2026
- Tour: After Hours Til Dawn Tour
The run is part of the After Hours Til Dawn Tour, which has grossed over $1 billion (roughly £740 million), making it the highest-grossing tour ever by a male solo artist. Tesfaye told a crowd in Stockholm last week that he no longer plans to retire the name The Weeknd, saying, "I'll never disappear."