Liam Payne’s body is set to return back to the UK today, with his funeral – a private celebration of the former One Direction’s star life – taking place later this week

Liam Payne’s funeral is set to be held this week, three weeks after the former One Direction star tragically died in a fall from the balcony of his hotel room in Argentina.

The singer was only 31 when he passed away in Buenos Aires, leaving his family, friends and fans heartbroken. Liam’s father Geoff travelled to Argentina after the tragedy and had to wait until authorities in the South American country allowed his body to be released and return back to the UK.

Details of the former 1D star’s funeral haven’t been made public, as it is likely be a private celebration of Liam’s life, following hundreds of vigils held by fans in Britain and all across the world in recent weeks. At the moment, it’s not clear whether Liam’s former bandmates will be at the funeral, but it has been claimed that some of Liam’s famous friends will be in attendance.

Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Harry Styles of One Direction in 2011

It’s unclear whether Liam’s former bandmates will be at his funeral ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
A source claimed that there will be “a series of song tributes” at the funeral as Liam “loved singing and making music until the end.” The source told Radar Online: “Liam’s funeral is going to be packed with A-listers as he was so well-loved in the showbiz community, and so many of them are so sad about his tragic death. His family want to keep his farewell low-key and respectful, as it’s what Liam would have wanted as he was so down to earth.

“But there are going to be a series of song tributes from some very big acts as he loved singing and making music until the end.” After Liam’s death, his former 1D bandmate Zayn Malik was due to perform in the US as part of his “Stairway to the Sky” tour but decided to postpone the dates and reschedule them for January.

However, Zayn didn’t comment on his concerts in the UK, which are due to start in Edinburgh on November 20. This would mean that, if he attends the funeral, he will likely need to fly to Britain early. Other bandmates haven’t shared any details about whether they will be at the funeral.

Flowers, balloons and tributes left for Liam at a memorial in Hyde Park, London
Flowers, balloons and tributes left for Liam at a memorial in Hyde Park, London ( 
Image:

SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Liam first auditioned for The X Factor in 2008 when he was 14, singing Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me To The Moon, before he returned to the show two years later aged 16 and was put into One Direction alongside Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Harry Styles, who went on to be one of the biggest boybands in the world. Following his tragic death, a petition calling for legislation to protect the mental health of artists in the entertainment industry was launched on Charge.org.

The petition seeks to “implore lawmakers to create legislation safeguarding the mental health of artists within the industry” and calls for legislation, dubbed Liam’s Law, which would necessitate “regular mental health check-ups, adequate rest periods and the presence of mental health professionals on-set, including any ongoing support during their career.” Dad-of-one Liam previously said he struggled with alcoholism at the peak of his success, describing hitting “rock bottom” to The Diary Of A CEO podcast host Steven Bartlett, before saying in 2023 that he was sober after going into rehab.