Fans of Liam Payne have inaugurated a bench in his honor in Buenos Aires, where the former One Direction singer died after falling from the third floor of the hotel where he was staying.
Fans held a ceremony on Sunday in the British Cemetery of Buenos Aires which saw attendees place a photo of the singer and floral tributes on the bench. A priest was also present to give blessings.
Local fans added an inscription to the commemorative bench which includes lyrics to the One Direction song History.
‘You and me got a whole lot of history, so don’t let it go, we can make some more, we can live forever, Liam,’ the inscription reads.
‘It means a lot for the fans to have a place and bench in Liam’s name here,’ 26-year-old fan Luana Bustamante said at the ceremony.
‘This is where Liam spent his last days in Argentina, in the chapel here which served as a refuge before he was repatriated to his native country,’ Bustamante said.
Fans of Liam Payne have inaugurated a bench in his honor in the British Cemetery of Buenos Aires, where the former One Direction singer died
Liam was found dead by police on October 16 following a fall from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires (pictured in 2022)
He was laid to rest in a moving ceremony on October 31 after his body was returned to the UK, with all four members of One Direction attending his funeral.
It was revealed last week that Louis Tomlinson will never be able to reunite with One Direction after the death of his former bandmate.
The ex-pop star, 33, is said to ‘despair’ at rumours that the surviving members could play together again, with the tragic balcony fall drawing a line under their previous successes.
The boyband were mooted to perform at this year’s Brit Awards in a final tribute to their friend, but reportedly turned down the offer with insiders sharing that they feel it could distract from remembering Liam at the event.
It would have marked nearly six months on from the 31-year-old’s death, after falling 45ft from the third floor of the CasaSur hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Louis has reportedly now moved on from the band – and is focusing on growing his clothing brand alongside tours as a solo artist.
In a warning before interviewing the Back to You hitmaker, The Standard was told by his representative that a story had ‘been running that the boys are going to reunite at the Brits for Liam.
Fans held a ceremony on Sunday in the cemetery which saw attendees place a photo of the singer and floral tributes on the bench. A priest was also present to give blessings
Local fans also added an inscription to the commemorative bench which includes lyrics to the One Direction song History
‘Louis just despairs. He could never get up there and sing as part of the band after what has happened.’
Louis later praised an emotional video montage paying tribute to his ‘brother’ at the star-studded show – saying it was ‘beautiful’.
In a statement shared to Instagram following Liam’s death, he said he was ‘beyond devastated’ by his friend’s death, and said that he will ‘always be an uncle’ for the late singer’s eight-year-old son Bear.
He shared the moving post along with a snap of himself and Liam performing together in 2015, before One Direction announced their hiatus the following year.
Louis is now said to be focusing on his clothing brand 28, for which he has recently launched his fourth collection.
Named after his favourite number, which is also tattooed on the fingers of his left hand, he says he celebrates the ‘chavvy’ clothes he loved when he was growing up in Doncaster.
Friends of the band have since claimed that the trauma behind touring in their teenage years has also contributed to their decision not to reunite.
And sources close to the Brits have added that there was ‘absolutely no interest’ shown by the boys when they were asked by the committee if they would consider performing.
Louis and Zayn are said to remain close, having been a trio with Liam, although they have become estranged with Harry. Niall is believed to have ‘moved on’ and now runs a talent agency for golfers alongside performing as a solo artist.
It was revealed last week that Louis Tomlinson will never be able to reunite with One Direction after the death of his former bandmate Pictured: Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson in 2015
The boyband were mooted to perform at this year’s Brit Awards in a final tribute to their friend, but reportedly turned down the offer with insiders sharing that they feel it could distract from remembering Liam at the event
The singer died suddenly aged 31 after falling from the third floor (circled) of the CasaSur hotel in Buenos Aires
They were brought back together for his funeral, but even then they were not seen talking as a group.
‘They have happy memories, particularly of the early days, but towards the end things got pretty dreadful and they began to despise One Direction,’ an insider told The Mail’s Katie Hind.
‘There’s no way they would get back on that stage, even Liam’s death wasn’t enough.’