Liam Payne fans have unveiled a bench in his honour in Buenos Aires five months after the One Direction star’s death.
The One Direction singer died on October 16 at the age of 31 after falling from the third floor of his hotel in the Argentinian city.
While the circumstances surrounding his death are still being investigated, with individuals charged and charges dropped, fans are continuing to mourn the loss of the star.
On Sunday fans held a ceremony in the British Cemetery of Buenos Aires for the late singer, which saw them erect a bench in his honour.
The green bench is inscribed with an emotional tribute to Payne, quoting the 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,’ it reads.
The bench acts as a place for his Argentinian fans to come and remember him.
‘It means a lot for the fans to have a place and bench in Liam’s name here,’ 26-year-old attendee Luana Bustamante said, as per the Daily Mail.
Payne’s funeral on November 20 was attended by a number of stars, as Girls Aloud singer Cheryl – mother of Payne’s son Bear – arrived looking sombre in black.
The dark blue coffin was transported in a white horse-drawn carriage, with flower tributes reading ‘Son’ and ‘Daddy’ placed on top.
Five months have passed since Payne’s death, with the most recent public tribute playing out via a heartbreaking montage of the star at the Brit Awards.
During the segment, host Jack Whitehall described Payne as ‘a very special person who meant so much to so many people in this room.’ He then went on to highlight the singer’s life and legacy, as a video montage left viewers in floods of tears.
Following the tribute, Payne’s family said how they will ‘forever remember’ the joy he brought into the world with his music.
About the segment, a statement from Payne’s family said: ‘This weekend, at the Brit Awards, Liam was remembered for his phenomenal contribution to British music and for his wider, positive impact on millions of adoring fans the world over.
‘We joined in that celebration of his life and will forever remember the joy that his music brought to the world.
‘Liam, you are so loved and missed,’ the family added.
Elsewhere in the statement, the family spoke of ‘the lasting damage’ his death had brought.
‘Liam’s death was an unspeakable tragedy. This is a time of tremendous grief and pain for those who knew and loved him,’ the statement said.
While it was rumoured the four surviving members of One Direction – Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles and Zayn Malik – could perform a special tribute to their ‘brother’ at the show, Louis’ PR manager hinted that this may never happen again.
‘The Sun has been running a story that the boys are going to reunite at the Brits for Liam,’ the PR manager told The Evening Standard.
‘Louis just despairs. He could never get up there and sing as part of the band after what has happened.’
Each member of One Direction shared their personal tributes to Payne following his death, all heartbroken at the news.
While the band – formed on The X Factor in 2010 – went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016 and had not reunited since at the time of Payne’s death, the late singer was keen to get on stage with them once more.
‘Liam loved One Direction. It was such a huge part of his life and career,’ Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy revealed in an interview with The Sun last month.
‘Who didn’t love them? I think everybody had hopes for a reunion at some point,’ she said, adding: ‘Liam would have been more than happy in the future to do that. He was so proud of the boys. He loved them so much he looked at them as brothers.’
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
