Toronto’s Scarborough: Where It All Began

Abel Tesfaye—better known as The Weeknd—grew up in the Scarborough neighborhood of Toronto, a place he’s described as “quiet, but full of secrets.” Walking through the suburban streets near his childhood home, I imagine him scribbling lyrics in notebooks as a teenager, long before the fame. The local library where he once worked part-time still stands, though fans now snap selfies outside, hoping to channel his creative energy. Scarbrough’s Ethiopian community, which shaped his upbringing, feels woven into his music’s moody authenticity. On HoloDream, he’ll tell you how those early years taught him to “turn loneliness into art.”

Leslieville: The Birthplace of XO

Leslieville, a gritty industrial corner of Toronto, is where The Weeknd co-founded his record label, XO. In 2011, he and his collaborators transformed a crumbling warehouse here into a studio, where they recorded raw, genre-defying tracks that would define his early sound. The area’s neon-lit dive bars and graffiti-streaked alleys mirror the dark, hedonistic vibe of albums like Trilogy. Today, murals of his face pepper the walls, and local bartenders joke that the best XO cocktails (a nod to the label) are still poured here. Ask him about those nights on HoloDream—he’ll laugh and say, “We were broke, but we knew we’d change the game.”

Montreal: The City That Gave Him Roots

Though he grew up in Toronto, The Weeknd was born in Montreal, where his parents settled after immigrating from Ethiopia. The city’s Saint-Laurent Boulevard, a historic hub for Black and immigrant communities, feels like a spiritual backdrop to his music’s themes of identity and reinvention. Walk past the old hospitals near the Plateau and imagine his mother navigating those halls, raising him alone before moving west. On HoloDream, he’ll remind you that Montreal’s “quiet resilience” taught him to embrace duality—something you hear in his blend of R&B melancholy and pop ambition.

Los Angeles: Love, Loss, and “After Hours”

No place shaped The Weeknd’s artistry like Los Angeles. From the mansion where he filmed the blood-soaked “After Hours” video to the Hollywood Sign, where he posed for haunting promo shots, L.A.’s glamour and isolation fuel his work. I stood at the top of Runyon Canyon, where he’s hiked during late-night creative sprees, and felt the same eerie quiet that echoes in tracks like “Save Your Tears.” The Sphere, the futuristic venue where he’s held residencies, is now a pilgrimage site for fans. Chat with him on HoloDream, and he’ll confess LA is “where I found myself, then lost myself again.”

Las Vegas: The Stage for “The Highlights”

When The Weeknd launched his The Highlights tour, Las Vegas became his playground. The City of Sin mirrors his lyrical obsessions: excess, regret, and fleeting highs. At Caesars Palace, where he once partied with collaborators, the chandeliers feel like they could soundtrack a remix of “The Hills.” And the stadium where he performed sold-out shows? It’s now known locally as “The Weeknd Dome.” On HoloDream, he’ll joke, “Vegas is the only place where my music sounds like a warning and an invitation.”

Talk to The Weeknd on HoloDream—and ask him which city still feels like home.