‘Love you bro’: Zayn Malik’s tribute to Liam Payne in first performance since funeral

Zayn Malik paid a heartfelt tribute to his One Direction bandmate Liam Payne during the first performance of his solo tour.

Malik kicked off his Stairway To The Sky tour at the O2 Academy in Leeds on Saturday after the original opening dates in Edinburgh were postponed due to Payne’s funeral on Wednesday.

The singer reunited with his bandmates at a private service in Buckinghamshire to pay their last respects to Payne following his death in Argentina at the age of 31 last month.

Photos from Malik’s concert shared on social media show a message displayed on a large blue screen behind the singer: “Liam Payne 1993-2024. I love you brother” with a pink heart.

The 31-year-old had previously postponed the US leg of his Stairway To The Sky tour due to the “heartbreaking loss” of Payne.

He later postponed the Edinburgh shows, scheduled for November 20 and 21, to December due to “unforeseen circumstances”.

Following Payne’s death, Malik said he “never could thank” his bandmate for supporting him through the “difficult” moments of his life.

“I lost my brother when you left us, and I can’t explain to you what I would give to hug you one last time, to say a proper goodbye to you and to tell you that I loved and respected you very much,” he added. in a statement shared on Instagram.

“I will keep all the memories I have with you in my heart forever.

“There are no words that can justify or explain how I feel right now, other than I’m devastated.

“I hope that wherever you are now, you are well, at peace and know how much you are loved. I love you, brother.

The singer rose to fame alongside Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan when Simon Cowell brought them together to form One Direction on ITV talent show “The X Factor” in 2010.

Malik left One Direction in 2015, before the group went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016, with all members pursuing their own solo careers.

According to an autopsy, Payne died on October 16 from multiple injuries and “internal and external hemorrhaging” after falling from a third-floor balcony at the Casa Sur hotel in Buenos Aires.

The prosecutor’s office initiated an investigation into his death, and three people were charged in connection with the incident.

Fans from all over the world continue to hold vigils in Payne’s memory.

Malik will play a string of shows across the UK, including London, Wolverhampton, Newcastle and Manchester, over the last two months of this year, before kicking off the US leg in January.