Niall Horan has opened up about his final encounter with late One Direction bandmate Liam Payne, describing the moment he learned of Payne's death as surreal. Payne died in October 2024 after falling from a third-story hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was 31.
In an interview with The Times, Horan, 32, revealed that he had been with Payne in Argentina just weeks before the tragedy. Payne had flown in to watch Horan perform on tour, and a video of him cheering on his former bandmate circulated online. 'I'm glad of that, it means my last memory of him was happy,' Horan said.
Horan admitted to being in denial upon hearing the news. 'On day one I was, like, 'Nah, it didn't happen.' Our friendship was a bond that was there forever even if we hadn't seen each other for a while and it's wild that one day, like the flick of a switch, he's gone.' He added that all their families have remained in touch since Payne's death.
Horan described his grief as having 'light and shade,' saying that while there is sadness, he also finds himself laughing at memories of their time together. 'I'll go to places and think of something stupid in a hotel or something random that makes me laugh.' He recalled their fun times in Australia, noting that Payne 'wasn't too bad at surfing.'
The Irish singer has dedicated a track titled 'End of an Era' on his forthcoming solo album to Payne. 'I think it's his type of song,' Horan said, adding that Payne liked Coldplay and songs like One Direction's 'You & I'. Horan also acknowledged fellow bandmate Louis Tomlinson's tribute to Payne, titled 'Dark to Light', saying, 'We have this shared thing, but so do the fans, they had a loss too.'
Payne's funeral was held in Amersham, Buckinghamshire in November 2024, attended by family, friends, and former bandmates. Tomlinson previously told The Independent that he will 'never really accept' Payne's death.
