With Liam Payne‘s remains returning to the UK, One Direction fans have started petitioning for a permanent memorial in his honor, ahead of his funeral.
Fans of Liam Payne, who supported him throughout his career, are now calling for a lasting tribute in his honor.
Following his passing, Payne’s remains were repatriated from Argentina and returned to his family in the UK on November 4. In his hometown of Wolverhampton, fans are preparing for a heartfelt farewell later this week. Tributes have already appeared outside St. Peter’s Collegiate Church, with flowers and handwritten messages placed beside the Lady Wulfrun statue. These moving tributes reflect the profound impact Liam Payne had on his fans and the music world.
Locals in Wolverhampton, just a few miles from Birmingham, had already paid their respects to Liam in the days following his death with a candlelit vigil outside his former school – St. Peter’s Collegiate Academy. Now, they are calling for a permanent landmark to remember him by.
As of November 5, a petition has gathered 4,654 signatures, urging the city council to consider constructing a permanent memorial in the West Midlands. The petition reads: “The recent passing of Liam Payne has touched the hearts of many, not only the unbreakable community of One Direction fans but also people worldwide. As individuals deeply impacted by the loss of this amazing talent, we ask for a permanent structure or mural to be erected in Wolverhampton in his honor.”
Another petition on Change.org also calls for a “global memorial” to unite One Direction fans in tribute to Liam Payne.
On October 16, Liam Payne was vacationing in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, when he tragically fell from the third floor of the Casa Sur hotel. Police were called to the hotel that afternoon due to reports of a man behaving aggressively. Upon arrival, they were met by firefighters and ambulances at the scene.
The singer’s body was discovered in an internal courtyard of the hotel, and an initial autopsy revealed that he had multiple substances in his system at the time of his death, including “pink cocaine”—a mix of methamphetamine, ketamine, MDMA, and other substances—along with cocaine, benzodiazepine, and crack.
In a statement from the Argentina National Prosecutor’s Office, further details from the autopsy were released, indicating that Liam Payne died from “polytrauma and internal and external bleeding” sustained after falling from the balcony. Forensic experts found 25 injuries “consistent with those produced by a fall from a height.”
Shortly after Liam’s passing, his family issued a heartbreaking statement: “We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts, and we will remember him for his kind, funny, and brave soul.”
Read More: Liam Payne