Zayn Malik postpones US tour after tragic death of One Direction bandmate Liam Payne

Zayn Malik has postponed the American leg of his debut solo tour following the sudden death of his former One Direction bandmate, Liam Payne.

Payne tragically passed away at the age of 31 on Wednesday after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, leading to an outpouring of grief and shock worldwide.

Courtesy: Zayn Malik/Instagram

Zayn, who was scheduled to begin the tour in San Francisco on October 23, shared with his fans: "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."

Zayn, who rose to international fame alongside Payne, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Harry Styles as teenagers, had plans to perform in cities like San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, and New York.

He is also set to embark on a UK tour next month, with performances lined up in Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, London, Wolverhampton, and Newcastle.

A representative for the singer confirmed to PA news agency that the UK dates, starting on November 20, remain 'unchanged.'

In recent days, hundreds of fans have commented on Zayn's social media, expressing their support for his decision to postpone the tour as he copes with the sudden loss.

Zayn, 31, recently performed at London's O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire, but this tour was to be his first large-scale tour since leaving One Direction.

Following Payne's unexpected death, Zayn revealed that he had been "talking out loud" to his former bandmate, reflecting on their complicated relationship in a heartfelt tribute.

In an open message, he acknowledged the highs and lows of their relationship, admitting they had "butted heads," but expressed gratitude to Payne for "helping him through his darkest times" and shared his hope that they could have reconnected in the future.

Zayn, who left One Direction in 2015 citing "stress" and a desire to live as a "normal 22-year-old," had a rocky relationship with Liam, who had referred to Zayn as a "d***" during an appearance on Logan Paul's podcast in 2022.

On Thursday evening, Zayn took to Instagram and wrote: "Liam I have found myself talking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me, I can't help but think selfishly that there was so many more conversations for us to have in our lives."