Zayn Malik.
Michael Locisano/Getty ImagesZayn Malik canceled his last performance Stairway to the Sky Tour just minutes before taking the stage in Newcastle, England.
Fans gathered at the O2 City Hall Newcastle on Tuesday, December 3 heard a loudspeaker announcement that despite Malik’s “fervent hope” the show could go ahead as planned, it was “no longer possible”. The sun reported. Concertgoers were advised to contact their point of purchase for refund details.
Malik, 31, subsequently took to his Instagram story to explain the sudden cancellation.
“I’m so sorry to do it, but my voice is not there at all tonight and without it there is no show. I’m really sorry to disappoint you, especially on such short notice,” the singer wrote. “I kept hope until the last moment. Hopefully with some rest tonight I’ll be back on stage tomorrow. My deepest apologies, Newcastle love you all xx.”
Stefania D’Alessandro/Getty Images Liam Payne and Zayn Malik have had a series of ups and downs over the years. Both musicians were thrust into the spotlight alongside Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson during the X Factor in 2010 to form One Direction. After releasing four albums as a group, Malik announced his departure (…)
The Stairway to the Sky Tour started in Leeds, England on November 23 and is due to end on February 3, 2025. in San Francisco. A day before canceling his Newcastle show, Malik performed at the O2 Academy Leeds on Monday 2 December. He is due to take to the stage at the O2 Apollo Manchester on Wednesday 4th December.
During the opening night of the tour, Malik paid his respects to his former One Direction bandmate Liam PayneWHO died at age 31 in October after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The lights flickered on and off during the encore and a memorial graphic was displayed on the wall when the power returned.
“Liam Payne 1993-2024,” the sign read. “I love you bro ❤️.”
Malik previously shared a throwback photo of himself and Payne via Instagram along with a heartfelt message.
“Liam, I found myself talking out loud to you, hoping you would hear me. I can’t help but think selfishly that there are so many more conversations to have in our lives. I’ve never been able to thank you enough for supporting me through some of the hardest times in my life,” read the statement shared a day after Payne’s death. “When I was homesick as a 17-year-old, you were always there with a positive outlook and a reassuring smile, telling me you were my friend and that I loved you.”
UPDATE 10/23/24 at 4:46 p.m. — Zayn Malik has confirmed new tour dates for his Stairway to the Sky tour, revealing that performances begin in January 2025. The leg of the tour begins on January 21, 2025. in Washington, followed by two shows each in New York and Los Angeles. The phase ends on February 1, 2025. (…)
Malik continued: “Even though you were younger than me, you were always smarter than me, you were headstrong, opinionated and didn’t care to tell people when they were wrong. Even though we’ve butted heads a few times over it, I’ve always secretly respected you for it.
The ‘Pillowtalk’ singer added that Payne was the ‘most qualified’ member of One Direction ‘in every sense’ and called himself a ‘newbie’ by comparison.
“I lost a brother when you left us and I can’t explain what I would give to hug you one last time and say goodbye properly and tell you that I loved and respected you so much,” Malik wrote. “I will cherish all the memories I have with you in my heart forever, there are no words to justify or explain how I feel right now other than devastated.”
Members of Liam Payne’s One Direction bandmates reunited at the singer’s funeral on Wednesday, November 20. Pictures from the somber event showed Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson all arriving at the private funeral held in Amersham, England. One image shows Malik, 31, and Tomlinson, 32, walking together. This is the first (…)
Payne suffered fatal injuries as a result of his fall. A preliminary autopsy showed that he “may have fallen into a state of semi- or complete unconsciousness,” as the position in which his body was found and his injuries suggested that he “did not adopt a reflexive posture to protect himself “. He used cocaine, benzodiazepine, crack and pink cocaine — a recreational drug that is usually a mixture of ketamine, MDMA and methamphetamine — in his body when he died.
Payne’s funeral on November 20 in Amersham, England was attended by Malik and the remaining members of One Direction: Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson. The occasion marked the first time the former bandmates were together since Malik left the band in 2015. One Direction went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016.
