On Sunday night, Ariana Grande returned to the stage for the first time since a suicide bombing killed 22 people outside her Manchester Arena concert on May 22. The benefit concert for the British Red Cross, One Love Manchester, took place at the Old Trafford Ground.
The star-studded concert focused less on soliciting donations than celebrating the lives of those who were killed in last month’s horrible terror attack.
Grande took the stage and was visibly emotional as she performed “Be Alright” and “Break Free,” and she and her dancers held hands in solidarity prior to the performance.
Grande yelled, “Manchester. We’re gonna be all right.”
The night’s most powerful moment was when the Parrs Wood High School Choir sang Grande’s “My Everything” with the singer as she held the young lead performer’s hand, both teary-eyed, as the rest of the singers joined in.
She told the crowd, “I want to thank you for coming together and being so loving and strong and unified.”
“I love you guys so much, and I think that the kind of love and unity that you’re displaying is the medicine that the world really needs right now,” she added.
The 23-year-old singer performed with Miley Cyrus and the Black Eyed Peas, while other highlights were Katy Perry, Coldplay, Robbie Williams, Liam Gallagher and Justin Bieber.
Katy Perry laft a mark with her resilent performances of “Part of You” and “Roar.” She told the audience, “I encourage you to choose love even when it’s difficult. Let no one take that away from you.”
“We will not be silenced,” she yelled before singing “Roar.”
Justin Bieber said, “(God) loves you and he’s here for you. I wanna take this moment to honour the people that were lost, that were taken.”
British singer Marcus Mumford kicked off the show and held a moment of silence before performing.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
