Just two weeks ago, Ariana Grande had a concert in Manchester, where a suicide bombing happened. Last Sunday, the pop star spearheaded a fund-raising concert for the victims of last month’s incident.
The concert was attended by over 50,000 people. Security was heightened and authorities warned the Ariana Grande concert-goers that they would be searched. They announced that armed police would be very visible in and out of the concert grounds at the outdoor stadium of Emirates Old Trafford.
The benefit concert, called One Love Manchester was hosted by Ariana Grande together with other pop stars, including the Black Eyed Peas, Usher, Pharrell Williams, Coldplay, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry and Justin Bieber. British artists Robbie Williams, Little Mix and Niall Horan also performed.
In front of the jubilant crowd, Ariana Grande said that she wanted to thank them for attending the concert, which was held barely 24 hours after another terror attack at London Bridge.
Love and Unity
In between songs, Ariana Grande thanked the audience for being unified, strong and loving. She said that this is what the world needs right now. The show was planned to raise funds for the victims of the bombing that happened during her concert in the city in late May.
A minute of silence to honor the victims of last month’s attack opened the show. Afterwards, the crowd sang and danced, rejoicing in the performances of the all-star lineup.
Katy Perry urged the audience to choose love, especially during moments of trial. She said that it could be quite a difficult thing to do but she believed that love conquers hate and fear. Justin Bieber seconded what Perry said, adding that love wins all the time and told the crowd that they were a brave bunch.
Ariana Grande wowed the crowd as she performed her own songs. Later in the show she joined Coldplay in the song, Don’t Look Back in Anger, which was a song written by Oasis in 1995. Oasis is a Manchester-based band and this song became the signature song of Manchester, a symbol of their resilience amid the tragedies. It was the song that the public sang during the memorial for the victims of last month’s attack.
The crowd was surprised when local hero Liam Gallagher, the lead singer of Oasis, joined Coldplay on stage to sing Live Forever. Gallagher dedicated the song to the victims.
An Emotional Show
Despite the jubilance, it was an emotional concert for everyone, as they recalled the tragedy that happened barely two weeks ago. Pharrell Williams boosted the crowd’s energy by singing his iconic song, Happy Together with Miley Cyrus.
During some of the songs, Ariana Grande was visibly moved. Her guests joined her on stage to sing her song, One Last Time. Many people in the audience could not help but shed tears at the memory of the May 22nd incident.
Ariana Grande ended the show with a beautiful and moving rendition of the song, Somewhere Over the Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz, a 1939 classic film.
Activities BeforeThe Ariana Grande Concert
Grande showed her love and care to the still-hospitalized victims of the May 22nd tragedy, many of them children. She visited them at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital on Friday, bringing each of them a teddy bear and a sunflower. She also had private talks with some of the mothers of the victims. She mentioned that they had to change their song list as some of the young fans who were still in the hospital wanted to hear some other songs.
The One Love Concert is a promised fulfilled. Ariana Grande announced she would hold a benefit show in Manchester a few days after the attack that was staged at her concert. She said that they would sing louder, live more generously and kindly, love more, help each other and come closer together as a response to the violence. They will make music as the glue that will heal and keep people close together.
Show organizers said that the benefit concert raised £2m, increasing the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund to over £10m. The song One Last Time will also be re-released, with all proceeds to go to the victims’ fund.
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