NEED TO KNOW
- The Weeknd was awarded the Key to the City and honored with “The Weeknd Weekend” by the City of Toronto on July 26
- The musician was raised in the suburb of Scarborough
- “It feels good to be home,” the Weeknd said in a statement
The Weeknd is taking over Toronto.
The music superstar — who was raised in the suburb of Scarborough — was awarded the Key to the City and honored with “The Weeknd Weekend” by the City of Toronto on Saturday, July 26.
According to a release, the honors were presented at a private ceremony attended by the Mayor of Toronto, Olivia Chow, youth from the Boys & Girls Club of West Scarborough and students from the singer’s alma mater, Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute.
“Born in Toronto, Abel ‘The Weeknd’ Tesfaye represents the best of our city,” said Chow in a statement. “From Scarborough to the global stage, he has reshaped modern R&B music as a multi-platinum, Diamond-certified artist while using his platform to create a lasting impact for Toronto and around the world.”
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The Weeknd — who’s set to perform a string of upcoming shows in Toronto — has committed to revitalize the basketball court and build a mobile recording studio for the Boys & Girls Club, bring a dedicated dance and arts studio and a sensory room for students with development disabilities to the Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute and more.
“I’m deeply honored to receive the Key to the City. It feels good to be home. Toronto is where I found my voice, and I’m committed to helping the next generation find theirs,” said the star — who’s donated more than $10 million to humanitarian causes since 2020 — in a statement.
Earlier this summer The Weeknd made history as the highest-grossing Black male artist to ever perform at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., according to Live Nation.
While he’s been open about his desire to retire his public persona, he underscored in a Variety cover story in January that he remained as committed as ever to music.
“I don’t think I can stop doing that,” he told the outlet. “But everything needs to feel like a challenge. And for me right now, the Weeknd, whatever that is, it’s been mastered.”
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