Niall Horan Features Late One Direction Bandmate Liam Payne’s Voice

Niall Horan is continuing to remember and honor his former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne.

During the Tuesday, September 22, opening night of his Dinner Party Live on Tour, the 33-year-old singer played a recording of Payne being interviewed. The audio began immediately after Horan performed his tribute song, “End of an Era,” in Birmingham, England, according to footage shared by fans on X. “We thought something might happen but never anything like this,” Payne said in the recording.

The interview continued with Payne saying, “I always try to remind myself of where I’ve come from and where I’ve managed to get to in my life. It’s amazing, really.”

Payne died in October 2024 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was 31.

As Payne’s voice filled the venue, the stage lights dimmed and Horan gazed over the audience in quiet reflection. The musician, who released his fourth solo studio album, Dinner Party, in June, stood with his hands on his hips before the lights eventually went out completely.

The day after Payne’s death made headlines, Horan and his former One Direction bandmates released a joint statement. “We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say,” the October 17, 2024, statement from Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Horan said.

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One Direction formed in 2010 after the members met on Britain’s The X Factor, before the group split in 2016. The statement continued: “For now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.”

The next day, Horan shared a personal tribute revealing that he had reunited with Payne just two weeks before his death. “I’m absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam,” Horan wrote on Instagram. “It just doesn’t feel real. Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious. He was the brightest in every room and always made everyone feel happy and secure. All the laughs we had over the years, sometimes about the simplest of things, keep coming in mind through the sadness. We got to live out our wildest dreams together and I will cherish every moment we had forever. The bond and friendship we had doesn’t happen often in a lifetime.”

Horan added that Payne had attended his concert in Argentina on October 2, 2024. “I feel so fortunate that I got to see him recently,” he wrote. “I sadly didn’t know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It’s heartbreaking.”

“End of an Era,” the third single from Dinner Party, was released as a tribute to Payne. Its lyrics include: “We had it, pure magic / Remembering what it was like / Time passes so fast that / I couldn’t tell you goodbye.”

In an Instagram post on May 19, Horan explained the song’s long journey. “Julian Bunetta, John Ryan and I started the original version of this song years and years ago. We rewrote it about four times without ever feeling it was quite right. As we were working on this album, we revisited it. Some songs take a minute to get to what you’re actually trying to say. This one was one of those. I hope it means as much to you as it does to me.”