Zayn Malik has paid tribute on stage to Liam Payne in his former One Direction bandmate’s hometown of Wolverhampton, saying he “hopes” the late star sees his gig.
The singer, 31, had kicked off his Stairway To The Sky tour in Leeds’s O2 Academy, with an on-stage blue screen message which read: “Liam Payne 1993-2024. Love you bro” with a pink heart.
However, he has not appeared to directly speak about Payne, who died aged 31 in Argentina last month, during the tour.
According to social media videos, Malik told the University of Wolverhampton venue The Halls: “I’ve been doing something, at the end of the show, every night, and it’s been dedicated to my brother Liam Payne. Rest in peace.
“I hope you’re seeing this, we’re in your hometown tonight, Wolverhampton, this is for you, Liam.”
Malik rescheduled his tour’s original opening dates in Edinburgh due to Payne’s funeral, which was also attended by his fellow One Direction stars Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan.
He left One Direction in 2015 before the group went on indefinite hiatus in 2016, with the members all going on to pursue their own solo careers.
Following the death of Payne, Malik said he “never got to thank” his fellow bandmate for supporting him through some of the “most difficult” times in his life.
“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”, he added in a statement shared to Instagram.
“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.
“I hope that wherever you are right now you are good and are at peace and you know how loved you are. Love you, bro.”
Payne previously postponed the US leg of his Stairway To The Sky tour over the “heartbreaking loss” of Payne.
An investigation has been launched into Payne’s death by Argentinian prosecutors and three people have been charged in connection with the incident.
Payne died on October 16 of multiple traumas and “internal and external haemorrhage” after falling from a third-floor balcony of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires, a post-mortem examination report said.
Malik will next perform at Manchester on Saturday, before heading to Leeds and Newcastle.
