Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande is returning to Manchester
Ariana Grande is returning to Manchester.
She will headline a benefit show in the English city on Sunday 4 June, it’s been announced.
‘One Love Manchester’ will take place at Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground – a 26,000 capacity venue.
All net ticket proceeds will go directly to the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund, which was set up by the Manchester City Council in partnership with the British Red Cross, in aid of grieving families and victims of last week’s horrific attack
The Side To Side singer’s last gig at Manchester Arena ended in tragedy when a suicide bomber targeted the venue.
22 people were killed in the blast on Monday 22 May, and many more injured.
Other performers confirmed for this week’s benefit concert include Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Niall Horan and Usher.
Tickets go on sale Thursday 1 June 2017 at 10am BST. Ariana is offering fans who were at the Manchester show on Monday free tickets to this benefit concert. Customers who would like to attend will need to follow this link and register before Wednesday 31 May 2017 at 4pm BST.
Ticketmaster will be in touch via email within 36 hours of registrations. Instructions will be passed on as to how to process your free ticket
Pharrell Williams, Take That and Coldplay will also appear.
For more information on the gig, click here.
Among those who lost their lives last week was gay journalist and PR manager Martyn Hett.
An eight-year-old girl, Saffie Rose Roussos, and couple Chloe Rutherford, 17, and Liam Curry, 19, also died.
Ariana tweeted after the attack that she was ‘broken’. She later posted an open letter to her social media accounts:
‘My heart, prayers and condolences are with the victims of the Manchester Attack and their loved ones. There is nothing I or anyone can do to take away the pain you are feeling or to make this better. However, I extend my hand and heart and everything I possibly can give to you and yours, should you want or need my help in any way.’
She furthermore added: ‘We will not quit or operate in fear. We won’t let this divide us. We won’t let hate win… Our response to this violence must be to come closer together, to help each other, to love more, to sing louder and to live more kindly and generously than we did before.
‘Music is meant to heal us, to bring us together, to make us happy. So that is what it will continue to do for us. We will continue to honour the ones we lost, their loved ones, my fans and all affected by this tragedy. They will be on my mind and in my heart everyday and I will think of them with everything I do for the rest of my life.’
Sunday’s concert will be broadcast on BBC Television, and on BBC Radio and Capital Radio Networks. The BBC will be the host broadcaster for international television networks. The show will also be streamed with a digital partner worldwide, to be announced soon.
Earlier today, Ian Hopkins, the Greater Manchester Police chief constable told BBC Radio Manchester: ‘When the idea of the concert came up, my first reaction was, we need to speak to the families of the victims and see what they feel.
‘It’s fair to say that the majority of them are very much in favour, there are some that clearly aren’t and that is absolutely understandable.’
In terms of safety and security, he added that he was ‘confident’ the benefit could go ahead on Sunday.
