During his appearance on the Late Night show with Jimmy Fallon, Zayn Malik announced his plans for his first ever solo tour which will take place in the UK and US. This tour comes off of the back of his latest album Room Under the Stairs which was released back in May of 2024.
As reported by the Daily Mail, the announcement came when Zayn jokingly told Fallon: ‘I’m going on my first-ever solo tour this autumn so maybe when you’re done picking apples with your buds, you can come check out my Stairway To The Sky Tour across the US and UK. Let me know what date you want tickets for.’
Zayn then went on to confirm this in a post to social media on Wednesday September 18th which read: “Appreciate your patience, love, and support. Can’t wait to enjoy great music together. This time I really mean soon see you in 35 days…”
The tour, titled Stairways to the Sky, will consist of only 5 performances in the US and 6 in the UK. The US leg will commence on October 23rd in San Fransisco and will also include stops in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and New York. The UK leg will begin on November 20th in Edinburgh, Scotland, followed by dates in Leeds, Manchester, London and Wolverhampton before finishing in Newcastle on December 3rd.
Tickets will go on sale Sunday the 21st of September.
Zayn, previously a member of the hit boy band One Direction, left the group in November of 2015 to pursue a solo career, citing the desire for more creative freedom and personal space. His debut solo album, Mind of Mine, was released in 2016, and its lead single, Pillowtalk, became a global hit.
He has collaborated with various artists, including Taylor Swift on the song I Don’t Wanna Live Forever for the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack, and Sia on the song Dusk Till Dawn.
The news of Zayn’s first solo tour comes after the release of his latest album, Room Under the Stars, on the 17th of May. The album features 20 tracks, including Dreamin, What I Am, and Stardust.
This is the fourth studio album Zayn has released, and has been referred to by Pitch Fork as a “coming-clean, back to basics record.” The album contains references to romantic struggles and long-term relationships, with references to his on-again-off-again partner Gigi Hadid.
In the song Shoot at Will, Zayn makes clear references to his ex-partner Hadid with whom he shares a daughter, singing: “When I look at her, all I see is you/When you look at her, do you see me too?” This moment of emotional clarity strips down Zayn’s feelings to reveal the complexities of love and parenthood.
The Rolling Stones described the country music style of the album, saying that “this newfound country change suits him incredibly well.”
Other critics have praised the album for its honesty and authenticity, with Slug Mag stating: “Zayn grapples with both things he knows and things he doesn’t. Those ideas, which are often hard to put into words, are bracketed by his adaptable vocal range and gentle, lo-fi production.”
