Zayn Malik postpones US tour after Liam Payne's death

Zayn Malik has postponed the US leg of his upcoming tour following the “heartbreaking loss” of his former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne.

Payne died at the age of 31 after falling from the third floor of the hotel balcony Argentina on Wednesday.

Malik was set to begin the U.S. leg of his tour next week – starting with a show in San Francisco on Wednesday.

However, the singer told fans he would be postponing the shows: “In light of the heartbreaking loss I suffered this week, I have made the decision to postpone the US leg of the Stairway to the Sky Tour.”

The US leg of Malik's tour was also scheduled to include Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Washington DC, ending in New York on November 3rd.

He told fans on X that the dates would be postponed until January and that tickets would remain valid for the new dates.

“I love you all and thank you for your understanding,” he added.

The 31-year-old did not mention the 11 dates of the UK leg of his tour, which is expected to run from November 20th to December 4th.

On Thursday, Malik paid tribute to Payne, saying he will “cherish all the memories I have with you in my heart forever.”

“I lost a brother when you left us and I cannot explain to you what I would give to hug you one last time, say goodbye, and tell you that I loved and respected you very much “, he said.

Payne and Malik gained worldwide fame as part of the boy band One Direction, which was formed on the TV show The X Factor in 2010, singing alongside their bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan.

Malik left the group in 2015 to pursue a solo career as a singer and the band later split up in 2016.

The cancellation of Malik's US shows comes after Payne's sister Ruth Gibbins called her brother her “best friend” in an emotional remark earlier on Saturday Instagram postin which she said the family would “take care” of his son Bear.

“My brain is struggling to keep up with what's happening and I don't understand where you went,” she said.

“I would drive to the ends of the universe to bring you back.”

In Argentina, Payne's father, Geoff Payne, watched the tributes to his son in front of the Hotel Casa Sur in Buenos Aires on Friday.

When he visited the hotel, a horde of photographers followed him, prompting fans to shout at the press and attempt to block the building's entrance to prevent them from entering.

Geoff Payne also visited the mortuary in Buenos Aires to officially identify his son. A federal prosecutor previously told the BBC that his body had been “released”, meaning no further tests would be carried out and identification could take place.

In an Instagram post on Friday, Girls Aloud singer Cheryl, who dated Payne from 2016 to 2018 and had a son named Bear with him, said she was worried he could access “vile reports and media exploitation” and her she couldn't protect her from stopping him in the future.

“Liam was not just a pop star and celebrity, he was a son, a brother, an uncle, a dear friend and a father to our 7-year-old son,” she said. “A son who now has to face the reality of never seeing his father again.”

“I ask you to consider what benefit some of these reports have, other than causing further harm to those left behind picking up the pieces.”

Since Payne's death, fans across the UK have been gathering for vigils.

On Saturday afternoon Fans gathered in Liverpool In memory of Payne, he lights candles and lays flowers on the city's waterfront. A vigil also took place in his hometown of Wolverhampton on Friday.