Heartbroken One Direction fans have been sharing footage of the last time the band performed together on stage after the tragic death of Liam Payne.
Argentinean authorities last night (16 October) confirmed that the singer had died after falling from a balcony in Buenos Aires.
The news came as a shock to many, who were in disbelief that the 31-year-old had died, while tributes started to pour in for the One Direction singer.
An update from the emergency services said that Payne had fallen about 40 metres and suffered ‘severe injuries which were incompatible with life’.
At 5:04pm local time yesterday a call had gone in that a man was lying on an internal patio in the Hotel CasaSur, with an ambulance arriving seven minutes later and pronouncing a man dead.
Fans gathered outside the hotel in Argentina to pay tribute to Liam Payne (Luciano Gonzalez/Anadolu via Getty Images)
An initial autopsy has already been performed on Payne’s body, and further tests are ongoing to determine whether the One Direction star had taken any substances in the hours leading up to his death.
Payne’s family paid tribute to the 31-year-old, saying: “We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul.
“We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”
Many One Direction fans have also paid tribute to Payne’s memory, with some in particular sharing clips from some of the band’s most famous moments.
One of the most emotional moments is footage from the last time all five band members were performing on stage together on 18 March, 2015.
One Direction had started out as five solo performers who all auditioned for The X Factor individually, before being put together by Nicole Scherzinger and Simon Cowell and going on to enjoy huge success.
One Direction had been on hiatus, but fans always hoped they’d get back together at some point (Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
The last time they all performed together on stage was in Hong Kong nine years ago during the On The Road Again tour.
At the time nobody knew it would be their last performance with all five boyband members, but the following day (19 March) it was announced that Zayn Malik was leaving the tour due to ‘stress’ and then on 25 March a further statement said he was leaving the band altogether.
The remaining four members continued the tour but it was announced that One Direction would be going on hiatus, and they never resumed after their pause.
The last ever video of Harry with Liam, Niall, Zayn and Louis.
March 18th, 2015. 💔 pic.twitter.com/UUALZIfA5k
— HS4 World Tour (@HS4WorldTour) October 17, 2024
One Direction fans said the footage of that final show contained ‘my fav boys always and forever’ and lamented that ‘we never really knew it was the last time’.
Fans said they ‘always thought they would eventually be on the same stage together’ after this point and the recent news about Liam ‘breaks my heart into pieces’.