On the first night of his Stairway to the Sky tour on Saturday (Nov. 23) Zayn Malik paid tribute to his late One Direction bandmate Liam Payne. According to fan photos and videos, the homage to the singer who died at age 31 after a fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Oct. 16 came near the end of Malik’s show at the O2 Academy Leeds in West Yorkshire, England.
The nod to Payne that filled the screen behind Malik as the singer’s 2024 Room Under the Stairs track “Stardust” played over speakers, reading: “Liam Payne 1993-2024 Love You bro,” with a giant red heart just below.
Malik attended Payne’s funeral three days before kicking off his tour, where he joined his fellow former 1D bandmates, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan, in paying their respects to their late comrade. In addition to issuing their own solo statements, the group’s members issued a joint statement in the wake of Payne’s shock death, writing: “We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. 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. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.”
Malik postponed the kick-off of his first official solo tour following the news of Payne’s passing.
To date, the Argentinian National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office has charged three people in connection with Payne’s death; none of the suspects have been named publicly. An autopsy confirmed that Payne suffered devastating internal and external bleeding and multiple traumatic injuries from his fall. According to a translated copy of the toxicology report, in the days leading up to his death, Payne reportedly had “alcohol, cocaine and prescription antidepressants” in his system.
Check out a picture of the tribute below.
