Turning a horrific incident into hope, Ariana Grande will return to Manchester, England on Sunday, June 4 for a concert to benefit the victims of the terror attack on May 22.
“I’ll be returning to the incredibly brave city of Manchester to spend time with my fans and to have a benefit concert in honor of and to raise money for the victims and their families,” Grande wrote in a letter posted to her Twitter account on Friday.
“I want to thank my fellow musicians and friends for reaching out to be a part of our expression of love for Manchester,” she added.
— Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) May 26, 2017
Musicians joining the pop singer in England include Coldplay, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Niall Horan, Pharrell, Usher, Katy Perry, and Take That. Emanating from the cricket stadium at Emirates Old Tafford, “One Love Manchester” will air live in the UK on BBC TV, BBC radio and Capital Radio Networks. Festival Republic (a subsidiary of Live Nation) and SJM Concerts will produce the event.
“The idea to host this event came from Ariana,” Festival Republic’s Melvin Benn told Billboard. “She was very traumatized after the attack, but it was very important to her to support the victims and show a level of defiance that stands up to this bloodlust and ambivalence towards innocent individuals and tells the terrorists that they are not going to stop us.”
The bombing outside of Manchester Arena took the lives of 22 people and injured dozens more.
“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 in honor of the ones we lost, their loved ones, my fans and all affected by this tragedy,” Grande wrote in her letter.
She concluded, “They will be on my mind in my heart and everyday, and I will think of them with everything I do for the rest of my life.”
Proceeds from the show will go towards the “We Love Manchester Emergency Fund,” in partnership with the British Red Cross Society and Manchester City Council.
Eminem and Justin Timberlake Join the Cause
We told you last week about a fund started by Tom Hardy, which also benefits the British Red Cross. Not surprisingly, the actor isn’t the only celebrity reaching into his pocket.
Eminem and Justin Timberlake sent separate tweets late last week urging their followers to join them in donating to the same cause.
Join me in helping Manchester victims & their families, Make a donation to the @BritishRedCross and @MENnewsdesk https://t.co/JchJtYOdMU
— Marshall Mathers (@Eminem) May 25, 2017
Join me & donate to @BritishRedCross to help those affected by #Manchester attacks: https://t.co/uI4NosXWhA Or https://t.co/xdDM36FASW pic.twitter.com/hqJYf4vpbc
— Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) May 26, 2017
As of this writing, their efforts, as well as the donations of countless others, have helped raise over $2 million.
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(Photo Credit: Instagram)