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Niall Horan leaves fans in tears by playing Liam Payne's voice on stage during Birmingham tribute concert

From the Newshound archive · first published 23 September 2026.

Bear and Liam Payne. Fans filming Niall Horan's Birmingham concert shared the moment widely, describing the tribute — which brought Payne's voice back to a live stage — as among the tour's most moving.
Bear and Liam Payne. Fans filming Niall Horan's Birmingham concert shared the moment widely, describing the tribute — which brought Payne's voice back to a live stage — as among the tour's most moving.

Niall Horan stunned fans at the opening night of his Dinner Party Live on Tour in Birmingham by playing a recorded interview of Liam Payne's voice at the end of his tribute song 'End of an Era'. The recording captured Payne reflecting on One Direction's success: "We thought something might happen, but never anything like this — it's amazing, really." Horan stood alone on a darkened stage, hands on hips, as his late bandmate's words filled the arena.

Horan rewrote 'End of an Era' after Payne's death in October 2024 and has called the process therapeutic.

Payne died aged 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires; Horan had seen him just two weeks before he died.

One Direction formed on 'The X Factor' in 2010 and split in 2016; Horan and his bandmates called Payne "our brother, who we loved dearly."

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