Niall Horan brings Liam Payne’s voice to stage in emotional tribute to late bandmate

 BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND: Niall Horan found a way to bring his late One Direction bandmate Liam Payne back into the room during the opening night of his Dinner Party Live on Tour in Birmingham on Tuesday, September 22.

Payne’s voice filled the arena at the end of 'End of an Era,' the closing track from Horan’s fourth solo album, 'Dinner Party.'

The unexpected addition gave the song, which was already written as a tribute to Payne, a poignant ending.

Niall Horan features Liam Payne’s voice in emotional tribute

In footage shared from the show, Payne can be heard reflecting on the extraordinary rise he and his One Direction bandmates experienced. “We thought something might happen, but never anything like this,” he says in the recording.

He continued, “I’m always trying to remind myself of where I came from and where I’ve managed to get to in my life. It’s amazing, really."

Payne’s voice plays right as 'End of an Era' finishes. Horan originally began writing the track years ago but revised and rewrote it following Payne’s death in October 2024.

Horan has previously described the process of transforming the song into a tribute as therapeutic.

'End of an Era' was released as part of 'Dinner Party,' which arrived on June 5 and debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200, giving Horan his fourth consecutive top 10 album on the chart after 'Flicker' topped the chart in 2017.

The song’s title also carries significance given Horan and Payne’s history. One Direction formed in 2010 after Horan, Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik were brought together on the UK edition of 'The X Factor.'

The group went on to score four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 and six top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 before going on hiatus in 2016.

Niall Horan opens up about Liam Payne memories

Horan previously opened up about Payne, saying there is “light and shade” to the grief he feels over the death of his One Direction bandmate. 

In a new interview with The Times UK, Horan remembered spending time with Payne in Argentina just a couple of weeks before his death in October 2024.

“I’m glad of that, it means my last memory of him was happy,” Horan said, adding, “It still feels surreal. 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.”

The Irish musician said he is in touch with Payne’s relatives. “All our families are in touch, they shared those experiences too,” he said. 

He continued, “When I think of Liam’s passing, there is sadness, but it also makes me laugh and smirk because of the memories we had. I’ll go to places and think of something stupid in a hotel or something random that makes me laugh."

Horan concluded, "We always had good fun in Australia because we were able to get out and go to the beach. Liam wasn’t too bad at surfing. I can barely swim.”

When asked whether One Direction would ever reunite, Horan responded, “God knows. I mean look at Harry there, look at Louis, the boys are flying, so God knows, but everyone still asks about it; it’s exciting.”