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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Roisin O'Connor

Harry Styles makes emotional One Direction tribute at final Wembley show as he brings out surprise guest

Harry Styles concluded his record-breaking 12-night residency at Wembley Stadium last night, with his sister Gemma making a surprise speech and Styles himself paying tribute to his former One Direction bandmates.

The British pop star has received glowing reviews for the London shows, part of his Together, Together tour in support of his latest album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.

On Saturday (4 July), Styles took some time to acknowledge this significant milestone in his career, addressing around 80,000 fans at his final sold-out Wembley concert.

“I wouldn’t be on this stage if it wasn’t for four friends of mine that were a massive part of this journey,” he said.

“I wanna thank Niall, Louis, Zayn and my dear friend Liam for these nights and everything that I learned in this time, the friendship, everything… None of this would be possible, I wouldn’t be here without you, thank you so much.”

Styles, along with Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Liam Payne, formed One Direction on The X Factor in 2010, going on to become one of the biggest boybands in history, before their indefinite hiatus in 2016 after which they all pursued solo careers. Payne died in 2024, aged 31, after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Later on in the show, Styles’s older sister Gemma made a surprise appearance, admitting it was “not somewhere I’ve ever wanted to be”, as she and the rest of Styles’s family tend to avoid the spotlight.

Styles's sister Gemma came out to deliver a speech about how proud she was of him (TikTok/rachelruwangux)
Styles's sister Gemma came out to deliver a speech about how proud she was of him (TikTok/rachelruwangux)

“That said, this is not a normal evening,” she said. “My little brother is about to finish a record-breaking 12-night run. And I’m gonna keep this pretty short because I don’t know how you do this quite frankly.

“I don’t think of you as this at all in day-to-day life,” she told Styles. “I think of you as a brother and an uncle and a best friend. And seeing the incredible community that has formed around you is just indescribable, really.”

She continued: “Thank you to everyone who has been there with you over the last 12 nights and the last 16 years.”

Harry Styles during the opening night of his Together Together residency at Wembley Stadium, London (Anthony Pham)
Harry Styles during the opening night of his Together Together residency at Wembley Stadium, London (Anthony Pham)

Gemma also recalled the moment she dropped her brother at his first audition for The X Factor, where One Direction were formed: “And now we’re here.”

“I’m so proud of you,” she said. “And not just because of this. I’m proud of who you are, and who you allow other people to be, and the impact you’ve made on so many, not least on the ones who get to love you… what a life-long privilege that is. Thank you for being you,” she added.

“I love you so much, and yeah, please help me congratulate you on a historic 12 nights at Wembley.”

Styles’s fans attending one of his Wembley Stadium shows (Getty)
Styles’s fans attending one of his Wembley Stadium shows (Getty)

Styles looked close to tears as he hugged his sister before she left the stage: “Make some noise for Gemma Styles, everybody,” he told the crowd.

Aged 32, Styles became the first ever act to perform 12 shows at Wembley Stadium on a single tour, breaking previous records set by pop star Taylor Swift and the band Coldplay.

His Together, Together tour will continue in Sao Paulo, Mexico City, New York City and Melbourne, with the shows set to conclude in Sydney on 13 December.

In a four-star review of Styles’s first Wembley show, The Independent called him “the consummate entertainer, a charisma factory who lights the place up better than any pyrotechnics”, and praising him for turning the stadium into “a warm, communal space”.

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