Cryptocurrency exchange company Binance has signed on as the official sponsor of The Weeknd‘s upcoming After Hours Til Dawn tour, it was announced Thursday (June 2). In a press release, the company calls the “crypto-powered” venture the “first global concert tour to integrate Web 3.0 technology for an enhanced fan experience.” Binance is the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume.

A pillar of the collaboration will be a tour-centric NFT collection created in partnership with HXOUSE, the Toronto-based youth talent incubator founded by The Weeknd’s creative director, La Mar C. Taylor. Virtual ticket stubs from the shows will also unlock access to commemorative NFTs providing a variety of experiences. The partnership will also feature co-branded (non-NFT) tour merchandise.

Another key component of the partnership is Binance’s $2 million donation to the XO Humanitarian Fund, launched by The Weeknd in early 2022 to support the World Food Programme’s lifesaving emergency operations in global regions with acute levels of hunger. Five percent of sales from the NFT collaboration will benefit the fund, which is administered by World Food Program USA.

“Excited to partner with Binance and BinanceUS for my After Hours Til Dawn tour !!!” The Weeknd tweeted Thursday. “We’ll use innovative Web 3 tech to connect with you in NEW creative ways and collaborate on charitable efforts to provide food to those in need.”

More details on the partnership will be revealed at a later date.

The After Hours Til Dawn stadium tour launches July 8 in Toronto, Canada and extends across North America in July and August, closing with a pair of shows at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium on September 2-3 before moving on to Europe, South America, Asia, the Middle East, Australia and Africa. (Dates for these global legs of the tour have not yet been announced.) The Weeknd’s first international tour since 2017, After Hours Til Dawn will showcase material from the singer’s most recent LP, 2022’s Dawn FM, and 2020’s After Hours, the tour for which was previously rescheduled three separate times due to the pandemic.

Source: billboard.com