Zayn Malik has pushed back the U.S. leg of his concert tour to early next year following the “heartbreaking” death of his former bandmate Liam Payne.
The “Love Like This” singer, 31, announced the news on Instagram, three days after the One Direction alum fatally fell from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.
“Given the heartbreaking loss experienced this week, I’ve made the decision to postpone the U.S. leg of the Stairway to the Sky Tour,” Malik said Saturday.
“The dates are being rescheduled for January and I’ll post them as soon as it’s all set in the next few days,” he added. “Your tickets will remain valid for the new dates. Love you all and thank you for your understanding.”
The news comes one month after Malik announced the tour, which was scheduled to kick off next week in San Francisco, with dates in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and New York City. He was originally set to perform Nov. 2 at the Manhattan Center’s Hammerstein Ballroom before playing six dates in his native U.K.
Malik on Thursday credited Payne with “supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life” and said he “lost a brother” in the wake of his tragic death.
On Wednesday, 31-year-old Payne fell from the balcony of his third-floor room at the CasaSur Hotel, just minutes after a receptionist asked emergency services to send help for a guest who was “high on drugs” and “trashing” his hotel room. The receptionist said he feared for the guest’s life given the room’s balcony, from which authorities believe Payne jumped.
A preliminary autopsy report concluded he suffered multiple traumatic injuries resulting in immediate death.
Police sources told TMZ Payne is believed to have ingested a substance known as “cristal” prior to his death. The drug can reportedly cause psychotic attacks, hallucinations and aggressive behavior.
The circumstances surrounding Payne’s death are still under investigation. Local authorities said an indictment could soon follow as it’s believed a hotel staffer supplied Payne with the drugs.