Zayn Malik apologizes after England concert cancellation hours before showtime
Zayn Malik is apologizing to fans after canceling a concert in England hours before showtime, weeks after Liam Payne's death.
The "Alienated" singer wrote in a note on his Instagram story that he had to cancel the Newcastle show shortly before it began, citing his vocal health. "I'm so sorry to do this but my voice just isn't there at all tonight and without it there's no show," he wrote.
"I’m truly sorry to let you down, especially at such short notice... l held onto hope until the very last moment. I’m hopeful with some rest tonight to be back on stage tomorrow," Malik added in the message to Stairway to the Sky Tour concertgoers.
Last month during a performance in England, the singer honored his former One Direction bandmate, who died in late October after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.
A video shared on TikTok showed that after Malik, 31, left the stage, flashing lights suddenly stopped before text appeared on the screen that read, "Liam Payne 1993-2024," followed by "Love you bro" and a heart.
Shortly after Payne's death, Malik postponed the U.S. leg of his Stairway to the Sky Tour.
The "Alienated" singer announced the news on his Instagram Story on Oct. 19, telling fans the postponed dates would be rescheduled for January due to the loss of his former One Direction bandmate.
"Given the heartbreaking loss experienced this week, I've made the decision to postpone the US leg of the Stairway to the Sky Tour," Malik wrote of the shows, which were scheduled to start Oct. 23.
Malik attended Payne's funeral in November, a horse-drawn carriage carrying Payne's casket. Payne's parents, Karen and Geoff Payne, were seen crying.
Malik and Payne's One Direction peers Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson were also seen arriving at the funeral, as well as Payne's girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, and friends Simon Cowell, James Corden, model Damian Hurley and "Girls Aloud" singer Kimberley Walsh.
Contributing: Brendan Morrow, Taijuan Moorman