Zayn Malik paid a heartfelt tribute to Liam Payne during his concert last night.
At the opening show of his *Stairway to the Sky* tour, Zayn honored his late former One Direction bandmate, who tragically passed away at 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in October. As the performance neared its conclusion at the O2 Academy in Leeds, England, a message remembering Payne appeared on stage, according to footage captured by fans.
The screen displayed the message, “Liam Payne 1993-2024,” against a blue backdrop with a red heart, followed by “Love you bro.” As the tribute appeared, Malik and his bandmates exited the stage, and his song “Stardust” began playing in the background.
![burbank, ca november 22 l r musicians niall horan, zayn malik, louis tomlinson, liam payne, and harry styles of the band one direction during the one direction iheartradio album release party hosted by ryan seacrest at the iheartradio theater los angeles clear channels new music and events venue located at the burbank studios in burbank, ca photo by christopher polkgetty images for clear channel](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/gettyimages-451482061-67117a14c5a3d.jpg?resize=980:* "The "One Direction iHeartRadio Album Release Party" Hosted By Ryan Seacrest At The iHeartRadio Theater Los Angeles")
CHRISTOPHER POLK
The tribute came just three days after Malik attended Payne’s funeral, where he publicly reunited with his former One Direction bandmates—Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan—for the first time since leaving the group in 2015. The four had previously shared a joint statement on Instagram regarding Payne’s death, saying, “We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able, 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.
Malik also shared a heartfelt message honoring Payne, posting a throwback photo of them napping together in the backseat of a car. “Liam, I find myself speaking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me,” he wrote on Instagram. “I can’t help but selfishly think there were so many more conversations we should have had. I never got to thank you for supporting me through some of the toughest moments of my life. When I was a 17-year-old missing home, you were always there with a positive attitude, a reassuring smile, reminding me that you were my friend and that I was loved.”
Three days after Payne’s passing, Malik also announced he would be rescheduling dates for the U.S. leg of his tour, “due to the heartbreaking loss” he had experienced that week.