After postponing his very first solo tour in the wake of Liam Payne’s passing, Zayn Malik officially kicked off his mellow and intimate Stairway to the Sky Tour at the O2 Academy in Leeds, England on November 23.
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His setlist included a handful of songs from earlier in his solo career, including breakout track “Pillowtalk," and of course a selection of newer songs from his latest album, Room Under the Stairs, including “Alienated,” “What I Am,” and more.
Closing out his concert on an emotional note, Zayn shared a sweet tribute to Payne, who tragically passed away in October. After swiftly leaving the stage following his performance of “Gates of Hell,” “Stardust” began to play and a message projected onto the blue-lit stage backdrop, that read — “Liam Payne 1993-2024 Love you bro,” with a red heart emoji.
Malik’s heartfelt tribute came three days after he attended Payne’s funeral, alongside his former One Direction bandmates — Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan. The foursome also previously released a joint statement expressing their complete devastation “by the news of Liam’s passing.” The message went on to say, “In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever.”
Zayn, who has rarely performed Live since he left One Direction in 2015, was originally scheduled to begin his tour on October 23 in San Francisco. However, following the tragic passing of his friend and former bandmate, Zayn made the decision to put his plans on pause.
“Given the heartbreaking loss experienced this week, I’ve made the decision to postpone the U.S. leg of the STAIRWAY TO THE SKY tour,” Malik wrote on an Instagram story at the time. “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.”