Report: The Weeknd Missed The VMAs Due To Tour Fatigue
He was nominated and expected to perform at this year’s ceremony.
Among the surprises at this tear's MTV VMAs was The Weeknd's absence from proceedings. Abel Tesfay was nominated in five categories, the second-most of any artist, and he was expected to perform live too. However, the Toronto native failed to show.
TMZ reports that the reason behind this was a simple case of "concert fatigue." The report mentions how the artist has "been on the road for a prolonged period of time" and that he "felt differently in the days before the show."
The first leg of The Weeknd's "Legends Of The Fall" tour ended in June with the artist playing a series of festival dates across North America and Europe this summer. In addition to the VMAs, a corporate gig in Los Angeles on the preceding Friday night was also pulled.
Phase 2 of the "Legends Of The Fall" tour begins next month. The 32-city run will start September 6 in University Park, PA, before making its way to Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. The Weeknd will be joined by Gucci Mane and XO-signee Nav on the tour.
A representative for The Weeknd did not immediately return request for comment.