Zayn Malik told fans ‘it’s good to be back’ as he made his long-awaited return to the stage on Saturday, with new photos revealing his emotional tribute to Liam Payne.

The singer, 31, who rescheduled some concert dates in the wake of his former One Direction bandmate’s tragic passing, performed at Leeds 02 Academy as part of his Stairway To The Sky tour.

Liam died on October 16 after falling from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in Argentina, with his bandmates seen in public together for the first time in nine years as they paid their respects at his funeral on Wednesday.

After Zayn left the stage at the weekend, a backdrop appeared which read: ‘Liam Payne 1993-2024. Love you bro,’ and a red heart.

As he took to the stage at the beginning of the concert, the singer told the crowd: ‘It’s good to be back up North,’ before treating fans by performing his global hit Pillow Talk live for the first time ever.

He gushed: ‘This might be a pretty decent moment for you all, this is the first time I’ve ever sang this song live… this song is called ‘Pillow Talk.’

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Zayn Malik told fans ‘it’s good to be back’ as he made his long-awaited return to the stage on Saturday, with new photos revealing his emotional tribute to Liam Payne

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View gallery

Opening his gig at the weekend, Zayn stood in front of a backdrop which read: ‘Liam Payne 1993-2024. Love you bro,’ and a red heart

Photos showed the singer on stage in a black Tupac T-shirt and grey denim cargo trousers, completing his outfit with a red cap to match hs microphone.

He later threw on a denim jacket as he passionately sang to the sold-out arena of fans.

His message to Liam has been widely shared on social media after it left the crowd in tears.

Fans wrote on X: ‘This is such a bittersweet sight, I bet Liam would’ve appreciated it.”

‘This is so wholesome but sad at the same time.’

‘Such a lovely tribute! I can’t imagine how he’s feeling right now.’

‘Zayns tribute to Liam at his first show back my hearts breaking all over again.’

‘Seeing it in person was HEARTBREAKING. Everyone was crying.’

Zayn’s first ever solo tour was set to begin in San Francisco on October 23, the US dates have now been postponed to January, and a Edinburgh show, which was meant to take place on the same day as Liam’s funeral, has been moved to December 8.

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As he took to the stage, the singer told the crowd: ‘It’s good to be back up North,’ before treating fans by performing his global hit Pillow Talk live for the first time ever

+9
View gallery

He gushed: ‘This might be a pretty decent moment for you all, this is the first time I’ve ever sang this song live… this song is called ‘Pillow Talk’

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View gallery

Liam died on October 16 after falling from the balcony of a hotel in Argentina, with Zayn rescheduling some concert dates in the wake of his tragic passing (pictured together in 2013)

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View gallery

After Zayn left the stage at the weekend, a backdrop appeared which read: ‘Liam Payne 1993-2024. Love you bro,’ and a red heart

His message to Liam has been widely shared on social media after it left the crowd in tears

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One Direction reunites for first time in nine years at Liam Payne’s funeral

Former bandmates Harry Styles, 30, Niall Horan, 31, Louis Tomlinson, 32, and Zayn arrived separately at the church for a poignant final send off.

Harry dressed in black, pulled up to the funeral in a BMW, while Niall attended with his girlfriend Amelia Woolley, with Zayn Malik arriving shortly after Louis.

Zayn was the first to quit One Direction in August 2015, citing ‘stress’, after withdrawing from the group’s world tour. The band officially announced its split in January 2016, breaking the hearts of millions of fans across the globe.

Zayn revealed that his gigs that were set to take place  in Edinburgh, had been rescheduled due to ‘unforeseen circumstances‘.

Sharing a poster of the new dates through his tour management’s socials, an accompanying statement read: ‘Due to unforeseen circumstances Zayn Stairway To The Sky Edinburgh show original scheduled for November 20 has been rescheduled for December 8.

‘A further date on November 21 at the same O2 Academy Edinburgh venue has been moved to December 9. All tickets for the original show dates will be honoured on the rescheduled dates.’

Despite fans being disappointed over the news, many took to social media to voice their concerns for Zayn’s well-being and send him supportive messages telling him to ‘prioritise his mental health’, assuming the delay was related to him still grieving the loss of Liam.

They wrote: ‘We love you @zaynmalik Take all the time you need, we’ll be here supporting you regardless’.

‘@zaynmalik I’m so proud of u for deciding to prioritize your mental health. Pls, don’t worry about us. We’ll wait as long as u need. Take as much time as u want. We know how you’re feeling, you’re not alone. We grieve to together. We love you Zayn.’

‘Zayn, we are always on your side, take all the time you need; sending all my love to zayn, stay strong z ❤️‍; @zaynmalik take care, please’.

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His One Direction bandmates seen in public together for the first time in nine years as they paid their respects at his funeral on Wednesday

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Zayn revealed that his gigs set to take place next week in Edinburgh, had been rescheduled due to ‘unforeseen circumstances’.

‘Honestly Zayn has every right to reschedule the tour for as far away as needed. He lost a friend, if he doesn’t feel like performing, we must respect that. If he does feel like performing, we must respect that too. His wellbeing comes first and those who love him, will understand’.

‘I really hope zayn’s okay though ❤️‍; I hope no one gives Zayn a hard time for postponing more dates. He is allowed this time to grieve however long he needs to.’

Following Liam’s unexpected death aged 31 after falling from the third floor of his hotel balcony in Buenos Aires last month, Zayn announced he was postponing the US dates of his tour.

He wrote: ‘Given the heartbreaking loss experienced this week, I’ve made the decision to postpone the US leg of the STAIRWAY TO THE SKY Tour.

‘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.’

The UK leg will see him play in Leeds, Manchester, London, Wolverhampton and Newcastle, before the rescheduled Edinburgh dates.

He will be performing hits from his new album, Room Under the Stairs, which he wrote over the past six years in rural Pennsylvania and released in May this year, where it debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart.

A US music producer working with Zayn previously told the Daily Mail that the singer is ‘in absolute bits’ over Liam’s sudden passing.

They added that his loved ones ‘don’t want him to be alone’ at the moment, so are making sure he is ‘surrounded by his friends.’