The Weeknd has donated a sum of $5m (around £4.1m) to charity after raising money from his US tour.
The singer donated the money to the World Food Programme USA, of which he is a U.N. World Food Programme Goodwill Ambassador.
The charity describes itself as “the world’s largest humanitarian organisation saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change”.
A cheque was presented by The Weeknd – who’s real name is Abel Tesfaye – in LA after he performed a show in the city.
The money was raised from a $1 (around 83p) contribution from each ticket sold from Tesfaye’s North American stadium tour. The “Blinding Lights” singer also sold a special edition charity t-shirt, with all proceeds going towards the charity funds.
As well as Tesfaye’s contribution, his corporate partners and tour venues also donated to the total.
The charity’s directors and donors contributed $1m (around (£800,000) to the fund, while a cryptocurrency exchange, Binance donated $2m (around £1.6m).
"Abel is an inspiration to us all, and through his efforts, thousands of families will have food security and hope for a better future,” said Barron Segar, president and chief executive of World Food Program USA on the donation.
The news comes alongside the announcement of the second part of The Weeknd’s world tour After Hours Til Dawn.
The tour will visit Latin America, Europe and the UK next summer, with dates across London, Manchester and Dublin in June and July.
He’ll also be performing in European cities including Paris, Brussels, Madrid and will end the tour in Latin America in the autumn, finishing with a show in Chile.
How to get tickets:
Tickets will go on sale for the UK and European tour at 12pm on Friday (2 December).
You can access tickets here.
