Ariana Grande will be joined by stars like Justin Bieber and Katy Perry at a benefit show in Manchester, England on Sunday (June 4), less than two weeks after the city’s terror attack.
A suicide bomber detonated a device as fans were exiting Ariana Grande’s show at Manchester Arena on May 22, killing 22 people and injuring 116 others.
Ariana, who subsequently suspended her tour, vowed to return to the city to perform a fundraising gig for the victims of the attack and their families, and on Tuesday (May 30), it was announced the 23-year-old would hit the stage in Manchester this weekend.
In addition to Justin and Katy, Coldplay, Miley Cyrus, Pharrell Williams, Usher, Take That, and One Direction star Niall Horan will play Manchester’s 50,000-capacity Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground.
Ariana revealed her plans to return to the city in an open letter to her fans on Friday (May 26).
“We will not quit or operate in fear,” she wrote. “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.”
Proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund set up by staff at Manchester City Council and the British Red Cross to aid those affected by the attack.
Ariana is also offering fans who attended the tragic Manchester Arena concert free tickets.
Greater Manchester Police chief Ian Hopkins also revealed on local radio that Manchester United soccer star Michael Carrick helped ensure the benefit concert could go ahead by altering his plans for a testimonial match at his club’s nearby stadium on Sunday.
“I was speaking personally with Michael and his team who, I have to say, have been brilliant in trying to come to a compromise around enabling us to make sure that both go ahead,” Hopkins told BBC Radio Manchester.
