Zayn Malik canceled a solo gig in Newcastle, England just minutes before showtime on Tuesday night (Dec. 3).
In the past few weeks the former One Direction member has embarked on a solo tour throughout the U.K., his first headline run of shows since leaving the pop group in 2015.
Metro reported that an announcement was made to fans inside the Newcastle City Hall venue about the last-minute cancellation. “The show will no longer go ahead tonight. We apologise for the late notice, it was his hope that he would be able to continue with the show. But this is no longer possible,” fans were told.
“Please contact your point of purchase for rescheduling or refunds. If you have parents or guardians collecting you, please stay in the auditorium and wait to be collected.”
Zayn shared a statement on his Instagram Stories and said the reason for cancellation was ill health. “I’m so sorry to do this but my voice just isn’t there at all tonight and without it there’s no show,” he said. “I’m truly sorry to let you down, especially at such short notice… l held onto hope until the very last moment. I’m hopeful with some rest tonight to be back on stage tomorrow. My deepest apologies Newcastle love you all xx”
Malik is due to play in Manchester on Wednesday (Dec. 4) with dates set to follow at the O2 Academy in Edinburgh, Scotland later this week (Dec. 8, 9).
The tour has already seen Malik play dates in Leeds, London, and Wolverhampton. Following the sudden death of his former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne in October, the run’s opening dates in Edinburgh were postponed from Nov. 20 and 21 to December.
Malik and his former 1D bandmates attended Payne’s funeral on Nov. 20, and he paid tribute to Payne at his performance in Leeds with an on-stage message that read “love you bro” alongside his late bandmates’ birth and death dates. The tour is set to continue into North America in January 2025, with dates in New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco.
