One Direction star Zayn to start solo tour in S.F.
Zayn Malik plans to launch his first solo headlining tour in San Francisco nearly a decade after his One Direction days.
The Stairway to the Sky Tour is set to begin on Oct. 23 at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium and conclude on Dec. 3 in Newcastle, England, with stops in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and New York.
Tickets go on general sale at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, via inzayn.com.
The Grammy-winning singer, who goes by his first name, left One Direction in 2015 due to severe anxiety and has largely been absent from the concert stage. He played on his wellknown shyness during a cameo on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on Tuesday, Sept. 17.
Zayn silently walked onstage and handed Fallon a note, which the host read aloud in a mock British accent.
“Hey Jimmy, great to see you, mate. I’m going on my first-ever solo tour this autumn,” Fallon read. “So maybe when you’re done picking apples with your buds, you can come check out my Stairway to the Sky Tour across the U.S. and U.K. I’m making an official announcement tomorrow morning. Let me know what day you need tickets for.”
The tour supports his fourth solo album, “Room Under the Stairs,” released earlier this year. The set list is expected to feature songs from the new album alongside fan favorites never before performed live.
Zayn is scheduled to stop in 11 cities, playing at venues with capacities from approximately 2,000 to 4,000 to help him ease back into the live performance space. The intimate settings also reflect the stripped-down tone of his new album. In teasers leading up to the tour announcement, the 31-yearold highlighted earlier hits, including “Pillowtalk” and “Dusk Till Dawn.”
“Appreciate your patience, love, and support. Can’t wait to enjoy great music together,” Zayn wrote in a social media post about the tour on Tuesday. “This time I really mean soon.”
Zayn started as a member of One Direction alongside Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson. The boy band was formed in 2010 on the U.K. version of “X Factor.”
The Simon Cowellhelmed group made history after its first album, “Up All Night,” entered the Billboard 200 albums chart at No. 1 — a feat no other British band, including the Beatles or Coldplay, had previously accomplished.
Zayn: 7 p.m. Oct. 23. Tickets start at $100. Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, 99 Grove St., S.F.