Zayn Malik. Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
Zayn Malik canceled the latest performance of his Stairway to the Sky Tour just minutes before he was set to take the stage in Newcastle, England.
Fans gathered at O2 City Hall Newcastle on Tuesday, December 3, heard a loudspeaker announcement that despite Malik’s “fervent hope” the show would go on as planned, that was “no longer possible,” The Sun reported. Concertgoers were advised to contact their point of purchase for details regarding refunds.
Malik, 31, subsequently took to his Instagram Story to explain the sudden cancellation.
“I’m so sorry to do this but my voice just isn’t there at all tonight and without it there’s no show. I’m truly sorry to let you down, especially at short notice,” the singer wrote. “I held onto hope until the very last moment. I’m hopeful with some rest tonight I’ll be back on stage tomorrow. My deepest apologies Newcastle love you all xx.”
The Stairway to the Sky Tour kicked off in Leeds, England, on November 23 and is set to end on February 3, 2025, in San Francisco. One day prior to canceling his Newcastle show, Malik performed at O2 Academy Leeds on Monday, December 2. He is scheduled to take the stage at O2 Apollo Manchester on Wednesday, December 4.
During the tour’s opening night, Malik paid tribute to his former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne, who 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 shown on the wall when the power returned.
“Liam Payne 1993-2024,” the sign read. “Love you bro ❤️.”
Malik previously shared a throwback photo of himself and Payne via Instagram along with a heartfelt message.
“Liam, I have found myself talking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me. I can’t help but think selfishly that there are so many more conversations for us to have in our lives. I never got to thank you for supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life,” the statement, shared one day after Payne’s passing, read. “When I was missing home as a 17 year old kid you would always be there with a positive outlook and reassuring smile and let me know that you were my friend and that I loved.”
Malik continued, “Even though you were younger than me you were always more sensible than me, you were headstrong, opinionated, and gave no f— about telling people when they were wrong. Even though we butted heads because of this a few times, I 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 novice child” by comparison.
“I lost a brother when you left us and can’t explain to you what I’d give to just give you a hug one last time and say goodbye to you properly and tell you that I loved and respected you dearly,” Malik wrote. “I will cherish all the memories I have with you in my heart forever, there is no words that justify or explain how I feel right now other than beyond devastated.”
Payne suffered fatal injuries as a result of his fall. A preliminary autopsy showed that he “may have fallen in a state of semi or total 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 had cocaine, benzodiazepine, crack and pink cocaine — a recreational drug that is typically a mix of ketamine, MDMA and methamphetamine — in his system when he died.
Payne’s November 20 funeral in Amersham, England, was attended by Malik and the other remaining One Direction members: Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson. The occasion marked the former bandmates’ first time being altogether since Malik left the group in 2015. One Direction went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016.
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