The Weeknd's Stockholm concerts and Venice Film Festival face gender‑representation criticism

Abel Tesfaye, known as The Weeknd, is scheduled to perform three shows at Stockholm’s Strawberry Arena on August 8‑10, 2026. The concerts have personal significance for 17‑year‑old Iris Engdahl, whose mother Sofia Engdahl says the artist’s music helped the family cope with the sudden death of Iris’s father, noting “Han har betytt jättemycket.”

The Venice Film Festival is under fire for its lack of female directors. Six Italian film organisations, writing in La Repubblica, accuse the event of being “one‑dimensional and male‑dominated.” Festival president responded that Venice awards more women directors than Cannes, but the criticism highlights ongoing calls for gender balance in major film festivals.