Just one week after a terrorist attack killed 22 and injured more than 100 fans departing her concert at Manchester Arena, Ariana Grande has announced that she will return to Manchester on Sunday, June 4 for a special performance in honor of the victims. The pop star will be joined by an all-star lineup that includes Justin Bieber, Coldplay, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Pharrell Williams, Usher, Niall Horan, and others.
According to Billboard, the concert, which is being called “One Love Manchester,” is scheduled to be held at the Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground. The venue can accommodate some 50,000 people, and the show will be broadcast live on BBC TV, BBC Radio, and Capital Radio Networks, with all net ticket proceeds benefitting the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund.
David Hodgkiss OBE, chairman of Lancashire County Cricket Club, told the Manchester Evening Times that the venue is proud to be a part of an event that will honor those affected by the heinous act.
“The victims, families and friends of all those affected by the tragic events of Monday May 22 remain at the forefront of everyone’s thoughts,” he said. “We are proud to be part of what promises to be an emotional occasion, and a showcase of music, enjoyment, memories and reflection, that we can hope can go some way to easing the pain and heartache that this great city has endured in the last week. The pride, strength, and spirit that has been seen in the last week is testament to the character of the people of Manchester.”
The news of the concert comes just days after Grande took to social media to offer a heartfelt message to fans, in which she vowed to never “quit or operate in fear” and alluded that she would be returning to the beleaguered city soon.
https://twitter.com/ArianaGrande/status/868164986887176192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.billboard.com%2Farticles%2Fnews%2F7809538%2Fariana-grande-manchester-attack-letter-twitter
She wrote, in part:
My heart, prayers and deepest 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.
The only thing we can do now is choose how we let this affect us and how we live our lives from here on out…
We will never be able to understand why events like this take place because it is not in our nature, which is why we shouldn’t recoil.
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 something that everyone on Earth can share.
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…
In an interview with BBC Radio, Greater Manchester police chief Constable Ian Hopkins said their is a great deal of support for the concert.
“When the idea of the concert came up, the first reaction was we need to speak to the families of the victims and see what they feel,” Hopkins said. “It is fair to say that the majority of them are very much in favor… [and] Ariana Grande’s team were very keen to come back to Manchester sooner rather than later.”
(h/t Billboard)
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