While many college students spent their summer sitting at an office desk or bussing tables, Donovan Fairhurst was traveling the country with the Weeknd as a member of the tour management team for the “After Hours til Dawn” tour.

Fairhurst, a senior majoring in Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management (RPTM), began his undergraduate journey in Penn State’s 2+2 program at Altoona before transferring to University Park in 2024. His interest in tourism management led him to take RPTM 370 last spring, a hands-on class taught by longtime industry professional Al Karosas inside the Bryce Jordan Center.

Fairhurst quickly recognized the opportunity. “If Al sees you’re putting in that effort, he’ll give back,” Fairhurst said. Determined to stand out, he made sure Karosas noticed his drive.

That persistence paid off when Karosas invited guest speaker Matt Petroff, a Penn State alum and tour manager for The Weeknd. Fairhurst came prepared, researching Petroff extensively and peppering him with questions.

“The class kind of turned into a one-on-one with me and the tour manager,” he recalled.

His enthusiasm earned him an invitation to rehearsals at Rock Lititz in Lititz, Pennsylvania, one of the nation’s premier production campuses. From there, Fairhurst continued to network and advocate for himself, receiving tickets from Petroff to attend shows in Philadelphia and New Jersey. But he refused to be just another face in the crowd.

“I shook every hand possible, the lighting team, audio, video, and pyrotechnics. I made sure to meet everybody,” Fairhurst said. “I wanted to stay persistent and keep turning the opportunity into something more.”

Petroff finally offered him a trial role of 300 hours. The plan was to attend shows in New Jersey, Boston, and Minneapolis. However, Fairhurst’s hard work and evident passion solidified him as a member of the tour management team for the rest of the summer, working 35 shows as an integral rotating piece.

On production days, he shadowed every department, including audio, video, lighting, and overnight programming. On show days, he anchored the tour management office, distributing credentials and VIP wristbands to high-profile guests.

Perhaps his most tangible contribution to the tour was making the eyes light up on the illuminated mask that The Weeknd wears onstage each night. “I had my hands on different pieces of each show, but I took constant pride in those lights in the eyes,” Fairhurst said.

As far as the presence of any challenges, Fairhurst humbly downplayed them.

“The rougher parts of the tour weren’t that bad because I was so passionate about it,” he said. He credited the tightly-knit team around him and his ability to be adaptable and flexible for his smooth experience. “Sure, there were busy days, but I was part of a team that made those things feel easy, Fairhurst said.

Fairhurst recalled one of the first pieces of advice he received on tour, “‘You can make a mistake, just don’t make the same mistake again,'” he said.

Despite entering a space consisting primarily of seasoned industry professionals with established methods, Fairhurst says that he was embraced from day one.

“You’re fighting an uphill battle as an intern, so it can be intimidating, but not with them. I know they have my back no matter where I go,” he said.

For Fairhurst, the biggest adjustment wasn’t the workload, but the travel. At 21, he had barely flown before joining the tour. “I actually had a fear of flying, but I wasn’t going to let that hold me back,” he admitted. A production team member even acted as his “tour mom,” checking in on him during flights.

By summer’s end, his colleagues had become more than coworkers. When it was time for him to leave the tour and return to school, his departments threw him a going-away party complete with cake and a playlist of songs that defined the tour, to honor all the work he put in. “They just took me in so well and literally treated me like family,” he said.

Now back at Penn State with graduation on the horizon, the senior has his eyes set on re-joining The Weeknd’s team for the Latin American leg in the spring.

“I’m just trying to work my way back onto the next leg, workshop things, and stay in touch with the Live Nation connections and all the team members I worked with,” said the RPTM major.

From the Bryce Jordan Center to nightly sold-out crowds in the largest American venues, the journey is just beginning for Donovan Fairhurst.