Fans around the world pay tribute to former One Direction star

Fans in the UK and around the world are holding vigils this weekend to remember One Direction star Liam Payne, who died on Wednesday.

A commemorative event has already been held in his hometown of Wolverhampton and Liverpool, with further rallies planned in London, Manchester and Birmingham on Sunday.

Crowds of fans also gathered in Sydney, Manila and elsewhere.

Payne, 31, fell to his death from the third floor. Argentina hotel balcony.

It is unclear when his body will be returned to the UK.

Details of various commemorative events have been circulated on social media, with fans encouraged to bring letters, flowers and messages.

In Liverpool on Saturday, a group of Directioners (the name given to followers of the X Factor boy band) gathered on the Keel Warf Bridge at the Royal Albert Dock.

Some had cardboard signs with the band’s lyrics, including one that read “When we’re apart, I miss half of me,” a reference to the band’s single “If I Could Fly.”

Another memorial card reads “Forever Young,” a nod to One Direction’s cover of the Alphaville song of the same name.

Payne’s photo, flowers, teddy bears and balloons were left on the bridge, and the band sang One Direction songs.

Earlier this weekend, crowds gathered in Wolverhampton, where the singer was born in 1993.

About 100 people bowed their heads as flowers were laid outside St. Peter’s Church.

One fan also left a photo of Payne as a child, surrounded by candles.

People around the world also expressed their condolences.

In Buenos Aires, people gathered outside the hotel where Payne was found dead.

In Sydney, where fans also gathered, one named Amber spoke to Reuters about the sense of loss she felt.

“My favorite memories with my sister are almost exclusively around One Direction,” she said.

“So for me, I think it’s the end of us growing up together. That’s why it’s so difficult.”

Another Christina said the news of his death “really hit home”.

“I think Liam has had a huge impact on his fans. I personally have been a fan for over 12 years,” she said.

Payne is known worldwide as a member of boy band One Direction (created in 2010 on the X Factor TV show), singing alongside bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan.

Malik left the band in 2015 to pursue a solo career, and the band subsequently disbanded in 2016.

Saturday, Malik announced He has postponed his upcoming US tour after the “heartbreaking loss” of his former bandmate.

His family also expressed condolences. His sister, Ruth Gibbins, described Payne as her “best friend” in an article Emotional Instagram postsadding that she felt “the world wasn’t good enough or kind enough” for him.

Meanwhile, in Argentina, Payne’s father, Jeff Payne, watched a memorial for his son outside the Casa Sur hotel in Buenos Aires on Friday.

He also visited the city’s morgue to formally identify his son. A federal prosecutor previously told the BBC that his body had been “released,” meaning no further testing would be conducted and no identification could be made.