The Weeknd Shocks Fordham Grads along with Jimmy Fallon!

May 16, 10:46 PDT

Keypoints Summary – The Weeknd Shocks Fordham

The Weeknd and Jimmy Fallon crash Fordham’s Class of 2025 celebration
Surprise performance of “Blinding Lights” and “Can’t Feel My Face”
Fallon played DJ before dropping the Weeknd reveal bomb
Crowd goes wild as The Weeknd appears
Fordham mascot Ramsey joins in for onstage dancing
Weeknd thanks Tom Cruise for helping boost his first No. 1 hit
Happened during Weeknd’s press tour for his new film Hurry Up Tomorrow

Surprise! It’s the Weeknd at Your Graduation Party

Imagine finishing finals, throwing your cap in the air… and then turning around to see Jimmy Fallon AND The Weeknd taking over your graduation bash. That’s exactly what happened to a group of lucky Fordham University seniors this week — and it was pure, unexpected magic.

Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, is currently promoting his new movie Hurry Up Tomorrow, but instead of just doing the usual talk show circuit, he decided to turn up at a college party and make some dreams come true.

Fallon Pretends to DJ… Then Drops a Star!

It all started with Fallon taking the mic and pretending to be a last-minute DJ at the Fordham graduation celebration.

“Congratulations, Class of ‘25!” Fallon shouted, hyping the crowd. “Let’s get a dance party going!”

At first, students thought it was just Jimmy having fun — until he stepped aside and said, “I brought someone with me…”

Cue literal screams.

Blinding Lights Hits the Stage — and the Crowd Loses It

Out walks The Weeknd in a black bomber jacket, stepping up to the mic like he’d just rolled in from a stadium tour — and the crowd went completely bananas.

He launched into “Blinding Lights,” and the Fordham seniors sang along like it was their personal anthem. Fallon grabbed a mic and joined in, turning the moment into an electric, sing-along showdown.

The Weeknd didn’t just sing — he performed like he was headlining Coachella. Fog machines, strobe lights, and students jumping on tables — it was a full-on concert.

Can’t Feel My Face (Or My Brain After Screaming)

Just when the party couldn’t get any louder, The Weeknd dropped his iconic “Can’t Feel My Face” — and the students lost their minds all over again.

Even Fordham’s beloved mascot, Ramsey the Ram, couldn’t stay on the sidelines. He danced on stage with Fallon and Tesfaye, turning the whole thing into a legendary meme-worthy moment.

A Little Help from Tom Cruise?

During the sit-down interview with Fallon on The Tonight Show, The Weeknd opened up about how “Can’t Feel My Face” got an unexpected push back in 2015.

“Tom Cruise did a lip-sync performance of the song on your show,” The Weeknd reminded Fallon. “And honestly… that helped it blow up!”

Fallon agreed, joking, “That man can sell a song just by moving his lips!”

What Was This For?

The whole event was a clever press stop for The Weeknd, who’s promoting his new film Hurry Up Tomorrow, currently in theaters. The movie, however, is getting less-than-glowing reviews — but if Tesfaye can pull off surprise concerts like this, fans probably don’t care.

What Is Hurry Up Tomorrow?

The film follows a dark, introspective storyline that critics have dubbed “a therapy session disguised as cinema.” Some reviews called it “self-indulgent” and aimed solely at hardcore fans.

But The Weeknd seems unbothered. He’s connecting with fans in his own way, even if it means dancing with college students in a campus quad.

Internet Reacts: “Best Graduation Ever!”

Social media exploded after videos of the surprise performance started circulating:

“I just saw The Weeknd at my school and I am NEVER recovering.”
“Jimmy Fallon is the greatest party crasher ever.”
“Ramsey dancing with Abel is my Roman Empire.”

What’s Next for The Weeknd?

With a movie in theaters and new music rumored to drop this summer, The Weeknd is once again in his unstoppable era. Whether or not Hurry Up Tomorrow gets Oscar buzz, his fans are ride or die — especially after a stunt like this.