Zayn Malik begs rampant crowd 'not to hurt anybody' at his solo show, pays tribute to Liam Payne

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: Zayn Malik paused his performance at London’s Eventim Apollo on Tuesday, November 26, to ensure the safety of his fans during his solo show.

The former One Direction star urged the crowd to back up as shoving near the front created a risk of injury.

Zayn Malik pleads for crowd to stay safe

Addressing the unsafe crowd situation, Malik said, "If you’re at the back, try not to push because people at the front are getting a little bit squished."

"We’re all here to have a good time, I’m not going anywhere. Just try not to hurt anybody. Let’s have a good time tonight," he added.

This incident of Malik's care for his audience took place during his first-ever solo tour, titled Stairway To The Sky.

Zayn Malik's tribute to Liam Payne on stage

The Stairway To The Sky tour, which had faced delays due to Zayn Malik's personal loss, is his return to the spotlight after the tragic death of his former bandmate and friend Liam Payne.

Payne died on October 16 at the age of 31 after he plummeted from the third-floor balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Malik and his former One Direction bandmates, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson attended Payne’s private funeral service on November 20 at St Mary’s Church in Amersham.

During his London performance, Malik paid tribute to Payne with a heartfelt on-screen message, according to Metro.

Malik was reportedly devastated and "in bits" over Payne's sudden death in October 2024.

The singers rose to global fame together as members of One Direction after competing as solo artists on 'The X Factor' in 2010.

Shortly after Malik left the group in 2015, he mentioned in a 2016 interview that Payne was the bandmate he was closest to at the time.

"We talk on the phone. He congratulated me on my single, which was nice," said Malik, per Daily Mail.

However, tensions appeared to have escalated, with Payne revealing in a podcast interview in 2022 that there were “many reasons why I dislike Zayn” but acknowledged that he would “always be on his side.”

Zayn Malik's tour delays and rescheduled dates

Zayn Malik’s Stairway To The Sky tour began at the O2 Academy in Leeds on November 23.

Initially scheduled for earlier dates, the tour had been postponed twice, first in October, following Payne’s death, and later in November to allow Malik to attend Payne’s funeral.

Malik shared updates on social media, confirming that his Edinburgh concerts, initially planned for November 20 and 21, had been moved to December 8 and 9.