Zayn announces first-ever solo tour nearly a decade after One Direction split

Zayn is preparing to embark on his first-ever solo tour nearly a decade after he officially split from One Direction in 2015.

The former boy band star, 31, announced on Wednesday (September 18) that he would be bringing his 11-date Stairway to the Sky tour to the US and UK beginning this fall.

“Appreciate your patience, love, and support,” the “Pillowtalk” singer wrote on Instagram. “Can’t wait to enjoy great music together. This time I really mean soon see you in 35 days.”

Zayn teased the tour during a recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon – his first TV appearance in eight years since he performed his 2016 song “Alienated” on the NBC late-night show.

The tour will be in support of his long-awaited fourth studio album, Room Under the Stairs, which he released earlier this year.

He previously described the record as an opportunity “for the listener to get more insight on me personally as a human being – my ambitions, my fears.”

Where will Zayn be touring?

Zayn will kick off his tour in the US on October 23 in San Francisco, California, before hitting Las Vegas, Nevada (October 25); Los Angeles, California (October 27); Washington DC (October 30); and New York City, New York (November 2).

After a two-week pause, the British artist will return to the UK, bringing the tour to Edinburgh, Scotland on November 20. He will then make his way to Leeds (November 23), Manchester (November 24), London (November 26) and Wolverhampton (November 29) before concluding in Newcastle (December 3).

When do tickets go on sale?

Zayn Malik will embark on his first-ever solo tour this fall (Getty Images)
Zayn Malik will embark on his first-ever solo tour this fall (Getty Images)

For fans interested in purchasing VIP key presale tickets, they will go on sale on Ticketmaster on Thursday, September 19, beginning at 9am BST/ 9am EDT/ 9am PDT.

It’s also noted that in order to gain access to the VIP key presale, you must hold a VIP key by September 18th at 12pm to participate. Check out Zayn’s website for more details.

Fan presale tickets will go live that same day, Thursday, September 19, at 11am BST/ 11am EDT/ 11am PDT.

General tickets will later go on sale to the public on Saturday, September 21, at 11am BST/ 11am EDT/ 11am PDT.

Zayn first rose to fame as a solo contestant on The X Factor in 2010. Following his elimination, he was brought back and partnered with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson to form One Direction.

The five-piece act went on to become a global sensation, releasing a string of Top 10 albums and embarking on several world tours.

In 2015, amid their world tour in Asia, Zayn announced his shock departure.

“My life with One Direction has been more than I could ever have imagined. But, after five years, I feel like it is now the right time for me to leave the band,” he said in a statement at the time, explaining: “I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight.”

The rest of the band went on permanent hiatus soon after in 2016.