The song was "Moth To A Flame." On the night of August 14, during the first of five sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium, The Weeknd closed out the track with a massive fireworks display, business as usual. The catch? That same evening, the UK government had just pushed a "severe" level wildfire alert to mobile phones across England and Wales.
The warning didn't mince words: "Residents, landowners and visitors should not carry out any activities that could cause a fire, including using disposable barbecues, campfires, garden incinerators or fireworks. Even a small spark can quickly turn into a large-scale wildfire, putting lives, homes, businesses and emergency responders at risk."
The fireworks going ahead didn't sit well with some online. One user, Niall Finn, posted on social media: "I don't think whoever's running things at Wembley Stadium got tonight's government alert?" tagging the official 10 Downing Street account.
Responding to the backlash, a Wembley Stadium spokesperson told LADBible that officials at the venue had met with staff from the Metropolitan Police and London Fire Brigade on site after receiving the alert. The spokesperson said: "Last night's pyrotechnics and fireworks display was a controlled performance held within Wembley Stadium's grounds, following the venue's existing safety procedures. All fireworks and pyrotechnics at Wembley are designed, operated and managed by professionals in accordance with the venue's fireworks policy, and a team of fire safety experts is on-site for every event."
Worth clarifying: the government alert was a safety guideline, and while it did include a temporary ban on the sale of disposable barbecues, it did not extend to banning the sale or use of fireworks — which is exactly the loophole Wembley leaned on when pushing back against criticism, arguing no rules were broken.
The same alert also caused an unexpected scene at Boomtown Festival: thousands of phones went off simultaneously across the campsite, and footage circulating online showed festival-goers responding with laughter and cheers, turning it into its own viral moment.
The Weeknd's five-night Wembley run is part of his "After Hours Til Dawn" tour. The second show landed on August 15, with the third scheduled for that same night (August 16), followed by two more on August 18 and 19. The tour has already surpassed $1 billion (roughly £740 million) in ticket sales, making it the highest-grossing tour ever by a male solo artist.
