Zayn Malik paid a heartfelt tribute to his One Direction bandmate Liam Payne during the first show of his solo tour.

Malik kicked off his Stairway To The Sky tour in Leeds’s O2 Academy on Saturday after rescheduling the original opening dates in Edinburgh due to Payne’s funeral on Wednesday.

The singer reunited with his fellow bandmates at the private service in Buckinghamshire to pay their final respects to Payne, following his death aged 31 in Argentina last month.

Images shared on social media from Malik’s gig show a message displayed on a large blue screen behind the singer which said: “Liam Payne 1993-2024. Love you bro” with a pink heart.

The 31-year-old previously postponed the US leg of his Stairway To The Sky tour over the “heartbreaking loss” of Payne.

He later rescheduled the Edinburgh shows, planned for November 20 and 21, to December due to “unforeseen circumstances”.

Following the death of Payne, Malik said he “never got to thank” his fellow bandmate for supporting him through some of the “most difficult” times in his life.

An investigation has been launched into his death by prosecutors and three people have been charged in connection with the incident.

Fans from across the globe have continued to hold vigils in memory of Payne.

Malik is set to perform a string of dates in the UK, including shows in London, Wolverhampton, Newcastle and Manchester, throughout the final two months of this year before kicking off the US leg in January.