There are those moments in life that you’ll never forget: your first day at school; the first time you fell in love; your first heartbreak… and then, perhaps the worst one of all. That fateful day in 2016, when One Direction announced that they were going on a “hiatus”. Cue seven long years of fans waiting, hoping and looking for clues to indicate that there’s a reunion on the horizon.

And now – perhaps, maybe, possibly – fans might be onto something. Twitter and TikTok and virtually every other form of social media is full of theories pointing towards Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and even Zayn Malik coming back together as a five. Is the One Direction reunion finally happening? Let’s take a look at what fans have come up with so far.

Harry Styles teases extra One Direction songs during his recent Love On Tour shows

Even if you’re not a 1D fan (but seriously, who isn’t), if you have access to the internet then it’s near-impossible that you haven’t had videos of Styles’ world tour plastered across your social media feeds at some point since it began in September 2021 (the final performance is in July). And, if you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know that he’s honoured the band by performing his (slightly remixed) version of their smash debut single What Makes You Beautiful at all of his shows. However, recently Styles has added a couple more 1D tracks to his setlist, teasing Best Song Ever at his Edinburgh show in May and performing Stockholm Syndrome in Denmark in May and on his second night at Wembley Stadium in June. As he prepares to wrap up his two-year tour, could this be a sign that he’s nostalgic for the old days?

Louis Tomlinson’s new documentary provides an insight into life in the band – and a mini 1D reunion

Back in March, Tomlinson released documentary All Of Those Voices, which follows his life since the band parted ways in 2016. While the film mainly focuses on Tomlinson’s journey as a solo artist, it offers previously unseen videos of the band as he reflects on their time as a group – which has sent fans into a frenzy as they enjoy the new footage. Plus, Liam Payne turned up to the premiere to support his former bandmate, where he acknowledged the existing friendship between the group in a red-carpet interview: “All of the boys have been there for me,” he said. “I’ve suffered a bit of a dark time in my life at the moment. Honestly, I wouldn’t be here without the boys.”

His appearance also prompted a public thank-you from Tomlinson, who tweeted: