‘Take all the time you need’: Zayn Malik forced to do the last thing he wanted to following Liam Payne’s death

The untimely and heartbreaking loss of Liam Payne has sent waves of grief through the music industry and among fans worldwide. Now, Payne’s former bandmate Zayn Malik had to make a rather difficult decision to help himself cope with the emotional toll it’s taken.

Commemorating the loss of “a brother” to him, Zayn Malik had previously jotted down a long note on Instagram expressing his heartbreak over Payne’s tragic death. The singer explained how there are “no words that justify or explain” how devastated he is with the news. And now, the 31-year-old singer has announced that he will no longer carry out his The Stairway To The Sky Tour in the U.S. on its original schedule.

The Stairway To The Sky Tour was set to be Malik’s first solo concert tour in support of his fourth studio album, Room Under the Stairs (2024). According to the original dates, it was set to begin in the US on Oct. 23, 2024, in San Francisco with further shows in Paradise, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and New York City, ending on Nov. 3. However, given the “heartbreaking loss” experienced by Malik, he has decided to postpone this US leg of his tour, as he announced on X:

“Given the heartbreaking loss experienced this week, I’ve made the decision to postpone the US leg of the STAIRWAY TO THE SKY Tour. The dates are being rescheduled for January and I’ll post them as soon as it’s all set in the next few days. Your tickets will remain valid for the new dates. Love you all and thank you for your understanding.”

While the U.S. shows are now rescheduled for January 2025, the UK leg of the tour will happen as planned. It will commence in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Nov. 20, 2024, and conclude on Dec. 4, 2024 in Manchester, England. So, Malik is officially taking the time off until late November to deal with the death of one of his best mates.

Payne was announced dead after facing a fatal fall from the third-floor balcony of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Oct. 16. While the circumstances of his death and the events leading to it make the accident more heartbreaking for fans, Payne’s family, close friends, and former One Direction bandmates are finding it most difficult to come to terms with the situation.

Previously, one of Payne’s collaborators throughout his solo career, Rita Ora had a break-down on stage while performing their song “For You” in Osaka, Japan, roughly 12 hours after the news of Payne’s death. She was seen fighting back tears, holding her head in her hands as she told the audience “I can’t even sing this right now.” The singer was visibly distressed over the loss and later paid tribute to him on Instagram, writing how the tragic news broke her heart.

Given the bond Malik has shared with Payne during and beyond the five years they spent together in One Direction, his pain must be unimaginable. Fans over X were tearfully supportive of his decision to postpone the tour, telling him to “take all the time you need.” They showered his post with support, love, and prayers for his healing, showing a true spirit of humanity.