Former One Direction bandmates Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik shared an unexpected reunion—sort of—during Malik’s Stairway to the Sky show at the Shrine Expo Hall on Wednesday night.
In a video posted by Pop Crave, Malik addressed the crowd, saying, “Tonight is kind of special. An old friend of mine is here supporting me tonight.”
As fans erupted in cheers, Malik looked toward the balcony and added, “He’s sitting somewhere here. I don’t want to give his location away, but Louis is here tonight.” In a separate video, Tomlinson was seen in his box seat, tapping his heart in response to the shout-out. According to fans, Malik later dedicated the songs What I Am and Alienated to Tomlinson.
The moment marked the first known public appearance of the two together since attending the funeral of former One Direction member Liam Payne in November. Payne died Oct. 16 after falling from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires. All five members of the now-inactive group—Malik, Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Payne—attended the service in Buckinghamshire, England.
Malik’s Stairway to the Sky tour, his first solo outing, was rescheduled following Payne’s death. He launched the U.S. leg on Jan. 21 at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. His next scheduled show is Friday, Jan. 31, at the Shrine Expo Hall in Los Angeles.