Zayn was heartbroken following Liam’s tragic death
Zayn Malik was forced to postpone his UK and US tour dates following Liam Payne’s tragic death in October, with the former One Direction star reuniting with his bandmates at the singer’s funeral last week
The 31-year-old was forced to postpone his UK and US tour dates following the unexpected death of his One Direction bandmate Liam Payne, who died after falling from a balcony in Argentina in October. Zayn was due to kick off his first ever solo tour in San Francisco in October, but had delayed the concerts in the wake of Liam’s tragic death.
The Pillow Talk hitmaker began his string of sold-out gigs last week, and took to the stage at London’s Eventim Apollo on Tuesday, just days after Liam’s heartbreaking funeral. Zayn was briefly reunited with his One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, as they grieved the loss of Liam, alongside his devastated family and former girlfriend, Cheryl, who is mum to his son Bear, seven.
Zayn postponed his sold-out solo tour after Liam’s death
During his performance on Tuesday, the packed crowd began heaving towards the front of the stage, and Zayn asked fans to be mindful of the safety of others. “If you’re at the back try not to push because people at the front are getting a little bit squished. We’re all here to have a good time, I’m not going anywhere. Just try not to hurt anybody. Let’s have a good time tonight,” he pleaded.
Zayn has further dates in Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle, as well as an emotional concert in Liam’s home city of Wolverhampton, before he moves on to the US. Following his former bandmate’s tragic passing, Zayn issued a statement to confirm he was postponing his solo tour to grieve the loss of his close friend. “Given the heartbreaking loss experienced this week, I’ve made the decision to postpone the US leg of the STAIRWAY TO THE SKY Tour,” he wrote in a statement on Instagram.
He paid tribute to his former bandmate at the tour’s opening gig in Leeds (
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Getty Images for ABA)
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WireImage)
“The dates are being rescheduled for January and I’ll post them as soon as it’s all set in the next few days. Your tickets will remain valid for the new dates. Love you all and thank you for your understanding,” he added. The singer will be performing hits from his new album, Room Under the Stairs, which he released in May this year.
Liam wasn’t far from his thoughts as he began his run of sold-out UK shows earlier this month, and paid tribute to the Strip That Down hitmaker. A backdrop behind the stage at Leeds First Direct Arena appeared, which sweetly read: “Liam Payne 1993-2024. Love you bro,” alongside a red heart. His gig in Edinburgh was due to take place on the day of Liam’s funeral, and he confirmed that the concert would be rescheduled to December.