Zayn Malik takes huge swipe at One Direction bandmate Harry Styles with cryptic remark amid ticket price fury

The Pillow Talk singer, 33, made the comment on Wednesday while performing during his Dolby Live residency at Park MGM in Las Vegas.

Speaking to the crowd between songs, Mr Malik thanked fans for attending, before delivering what many interpreted as a pointed aside about ticket prices.

“You could have all been anywhere, but you decided to spend your night with me,” he told the audience. “Hopefully the ticket prices weren’t too high… just saying.”

The comment was widely interpreted by fans and media as a tongue-in-cheek dig at Mr Styles, whose tour presale sparked immediate controversy online.

Fans reported standard lower-bowl seats at New York’s Madison Square Garden reaching $1,182.40 (£860), while VIP packages peaked at $1,667 (£1,212).

At Wembley Stadium in London, prices ranged from £44.10 to £466, with VIP packages climbing as high as £725.45.

Compared with Mr Styles’ 2022–2023 Love On Tour shows, tickets are said to have increased by roughly £140 for comparable seating sections.

The pricing has prompted criticism from fans and fellow musicians alike, with some branding the costs “greedy” and “out of touch.”

Ticket prices are not the only aspect of the tour to have drawn backlash.

Many fans have also voiced frustration at the residency format, which limits performances to a small number of major cities, 30 nights in New York and 12 in London, forcing others to pay for travel and accommodation on top of already high costs.

Fans were vocal in their criticism on social media.

One fan wrote on X: “Hey @Harry_Styles as someone who’s loved you for almost 14 years and went to all the tours, I’m at a loss for words over how much you/ur team seem to have lost touch with reality in terms of residency shows and ticket prices. Music should be accessible. Remember how you started.”

Another echoed the sentiment, penning: “Harry Styles can f*** off with this residency tour i’m so p***** off.”

Others highlighted what they described as the irony of the tour title “Together Together”, calling it “crazy work” to promote an event that is financially “inaccessible” to much of the fanbase.

Liam Gallagher joked on X that Oasis’s 2025 reunion ticket prices were “reasonable looking back at it now.”

The moment has also reignited discussion around the long-rumoured rift between Mr Malik and Mr Styles.

Their relationship is said to have been distant since their time in One Direction, which they joined as teenagers aged 16 and 17.

While initially perceived as close friends, their bond has since faded into what many describe as a mutual but largely unspoken estrangement.

“Who’s from Vegas? Who’s from elsewhere? I just want to say a big big thank you for being here with me tonight….hopefully the ticket prices weren’t too high- just saying, anyway!” - Zayn speaking to fans tonight in Vegas 😭
pic.twitter.com/wS4NLMajrf

— ZAYN MALIK PROMO 𓊍 (@ZAYNxPROMO) January 29, 2026

In a 2017 interview with Us Weekly, Mr Malik admitted he “never really spoke” to Mr Styles, even while they were in the band, adding that he did not expect a relationship after leaving because they never truly had one to begin with.

Mr Malik has previously cited creative differences and contrasting views on fame as sources of tension, once describing One Direction’s music as “generic as f***”, a remark Mr Styles later called “a shame.”

The pair briefly reunited at the funeral of Liam Payne in November 2024, prompting speculation of a reconciliation, though sources suggest underlying tensions remain.

While Mr Styles has pledged to donate £1 per ticket to the LIVE Trust to support grassroots music venues, some fans argue the gesture rings hollow against ticket prices approaching $1,000.