The Weeknd is not retiring, Abel Tesfaye says he is hibernating

The Weeknd is not going anywhere. Abel Tesfaye, the singer who has released music under that name since 2011, says he is not stepping away from music and is simply taking a pause.

In an interview with GQ Hong Kong, Tesfaye said he is "not stepping away from anything" and is "just hibernating," according to Billboard. He added that "The Weeknd isn't going anywhere" and that he will keep performing for as long as he possibly can.

The comments follow remarks he made to fans in August 2026. Speaking to a concert crowd in Stockholm, Tesfaye said he had tested retirement, did not like how it feels, and will never disappear.

That is a change from what he had previously said about ending the character. Tesfaye had told Variety that after 16 years inhabiting his The Weeknd stage persona he was ready to move on and retire the character.

He explained the earlier talk as the end of a chapter rather than the end of performing. He said he had been telling one story from 2020 until now and that story has reached its conclusion.

The GQ Hong Kong interview came after those August remarks to fans, as noted by Vice. The sequence puts the latest interview as the most up-to-date account of his plans.

For fans, this means a break, not a goodbye. No farewell date has been announced. No final show has been confirmed. The message from Tesfaye is short. He is resting the name, not retiring it.