The Weeknd presented with Key to the City ahead of Toronto concerts

Mayor Olivia Chow poses with The Weeknd and his crew while holding the Key to the City. (City of Toronto handout)

Grammy Award-winning musician The Weeknd has received the Key to the City ahead of his highly anticipated concerts at Rogers Centre.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow presented the honour to the Scarborough-born musician, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, at the downtown stadium on Saturday.

In a statement, the mayor said The Blinding Lights singer represents the best of Toronto.

“From Scarborough to the global stage, he has reshaped modern music while using his platform to support health and humanitarian causes at home and around the world. I am proud to honour one of our city’s greatest artists with a Key to the City to celebrate his contributions to music, society and our culture,” Chow said.

The Weeknd is in Toronto for his “After Hours til Dawn” tour in support of his album trilogy “After Hours,” “Dawn FM” and “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” which was released earlier this year.

The singer, who has 27 songs with over 1 billion streams each on Spotify, is set to perform in Toronto on Sunday and Monday and will return for additional shows on Aug. 7 and 8.

The Often singer said he was honoured to receive the Key to the City.

“It feels good to be home,” he said. “Toronto is where I found my voice, and I’m committed to helping the next generation find theirs.”

In addition to his achievements in the music industry, the city said the awarding of the Key to the City is also in recognition of The Weeknd’s contributions to the community, including raising and donating $500,000 to the Scarborough Health Network during the pandemic and co-founding HXOUSE, a not-for-profit innovation hub that empowers emerging creatives and entrepreneurs.

The city added that The Weeknd, in honour of the recognition, is investing in the Boys & Girls Club of West Scarborough and his former high school, Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute, to create spaces for youth.

“As a self-made global ambassador for Toronto’s music and arts communities, The Weeknd serves as a role model for aspiring artists everywhere. His recognition today celebrates both his international impact and his dedication to Toronto’s cultural identity,” the city said.

The city has also proclaimed July 26 and 27 as “The Weeknd Weekend.”