The Weeknd Fans Celebrate Super Bowl Halftime Gig: 'That's a Big W'

The first concertgoers applauding The Weeknd at small clubs in his Toronto hometown are celebrating Thursday's (Nov. 12) announcement that he will headline the 2021 Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show.

In the same week Toronto's Mod Club Theatre, which hosted his first-ever concert in 2011, permanently closed its doors, The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye) revealed he's heading for one of the biggest stages in America.

"We all grow up watching the world’s biggest acts playing the Super Bowl and one can only dream of being in that position," The Weeknd said in a statement. "I’m humbled, honored and ecstatic to be the center of that infamous stage this year."

Original XO fans took to Twitter to show how they grew up watching one of the world's brightest superstars by sharing pictures from when he was an underground Canadian artist.

@SHREKRAP, which fans have speculated to be Chicago rapper Saba, wrote, "THE WEEKND FOR THE SUPER BOWL HALF TIME SHOW. LETS GOOOOOO." And one Twitter user even synched his No. 1 hit "Blinding Lights" to the "Sweet Victory" performance scene of SpongeBob SquarePants, which made a cameo at the Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show in 2019 when Maroon 5 headlined, featuring guest performers Travis Scott and Big Boi.

See the best reactions below.