Zayn Malik Returns to the Stage: His First Tour Since One Direction and Liam Payne's Passing

British artist Zayn Malik gave on Saturday night the first concert of his first tour since leaving the band One Direction in March 2015.

Malik had planned to begin his 'Stairway To The Sky' tour in the United States last month, but the unexpected death of his bandmate Liam Payne led him to cancel his performances. The change resulted in his solo debut at the O2 Academy in Leeds, England.

Malik's return to the stage would have been big news for pop music lovers and a joyful moment for millions of 1D fans. However, with Payne's death, it took on an even more emotional tone, with the venue sold out and over 13,000 people connected to a spontaneous live TikTok stream.

The hashtag #proudofzayn trended on social media, and within hours of the concert's conclusion, thousands had attended and celebrated his performance. The artist has been open about his battles with anxiety during live shows, having canceled several and revealed he is undergoing treatment to support his mental health.

Dressed modestly in jeans, a black T-shirt featuring the late American rapper Tupac Shakur, and a red baseball cap, Malik performed songs he has released in recent years.

Screams, Emotion, Music, and Tears

Malik's performance was intimate, with just over three thousand attendees in the small theater. Red and blue lights dominated the stage as the artist sang hits like 'Pillow Talk,' 'Dusk Til Dawn,' 'Sweat,' 'I Don't Want To Leave Forever,' 'Alienated,' and many more.

Fans had prepared for him not to perform any major hits with One Direction and agreed not to request them, understanding it was too soon. Malik and his bandmates Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson had attended Payne's funeral earlier this week.

However, at the end, with 'Stardust' still playing, the giant screen behind him displayed the text:

"Liam Payne 1993-2024. Love you bro".

The audience could be heard sobbing, tears streaming down their faces, while those watching the stream shared broken heart and bandaged heart emojis.

Here you can see everything that happened in videos and photos: