Rita Ora gets emotional singing “For You” for Liam Payne

During her most recent live performance, Rita Ora was overcome by emotion during a homage to her late friend and collaborator, Liam Payne.

The British singer and actress performed “For You” on Friday, August 14, while headlining the BitterSweet Festival in Poznań, Poland. Amid the live performance of their 2018 duet, the “Your Song” vocalist urged the thousands of fans in attendance to sing the former One Direction star’s part. She was clearly unprepared for what happened next, completely caught off guard by the crowd’s response.

The performance turned into a massive, karaoke-style memorial for Payne, who passed away at the age of 31. The audience sang along to the Fifty Shades Freed track as the lyrics displayed across the enormous screens. In fan-captured video, the “Poison” singer initially appeared taken aback by the sheer scale of the crowd’s participation. As the audience continued singing the “Teardrops” artist’s verses, her expression shifted to visible emotion as she struggled to contain her tears.

Najpierw niedowierzanie, potem WTF (ruch ust zdradza wszystko 😉), a potem łzy wzruszenia 🥹!
Trzeba przyznać, polska publiczność potrafi docenić artystę 🇵🇱👏
Rita Ora już to wie po koncercie na #BitterSweetFestival26 pic.twitter.com/BO0IsdZ3Ra

— Marcin 💙💛 (@Marciin12) August 15, 2026

Online viewers were quick to commend the Polish audience for delivering such a moving tribute alongside the 35-year-old Rita Ora.

The poignant performance carried extra weight due to the singers’ shared history with the song. Released in January 2018 as the lead single from the Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack, “For You” became a massive worldwide hit and remained one of their most prominent collaborations after numerous joint stage appearances.

Following Payne’s passing in October 2024, Ora’s relationship with the song changed completely. Shortly after his death, she broke down in tears while attempting to perform it in Japan, telling the crowd she couldn’t bring herself to sing his parts. Since then, she has regularly honored Payne during her performances, making Friday night’s show in Poznań another touching tribute to their friendship and creative connection.