HOLLYWOOD—Stars like Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Take That, Miley Cyrus, Pharrell and Coldplay are among some who will join Ariana Grande at a benefit concert following the Manchester bombing attack last week. The One Love Manchester show will raise money for those affected by the blast which left 22 dead. The concert will take place on Sunday, June 4. Grande is offering free tickets to fans who were at her Manchester Arena show on May 22. They continue to join in, including One Direction’s Niall Horan and Usher.
The venue has a 50,000 capacity, and the tribute concert will go on sale on June 1, with those attending asked not to bring bags. The proceeds will go to the We Love Manchester emergency fund, which has been set up by Manchester City Council, in conjunction with the British Red Cross. Her manager is Scooter Braun, the same manager who represents Justin Bieber. It was a very sad day when seven children were among the victims who died when Salman Abedi detonated a bomb outside the concert venue. Grande, 23, suspended her Dangerous Woman tour, including canceling two shows at London’s O2 Arena, following the attack. Ariana, however, promised to return to Manchester to spend time with her fans and to have a benefit concert in their honor and raise money for the victims and their families.
After the attack, Ariana posted on Twitter her condolences, saying: “Broken, from the bottom of my heart, I am so so sorry, I don’t have words.” Fifty people injured in the attack were still being treated in the hospital-including 17 in critical care. The Manchester Victoria station re-opened on May 31, the station, which is connected to Manchester Arena, suffered structural damage in the incident. Police say their investigation into the attack is “making good progress” and has around 1,000 people working on it. In total 16 people have been arrested, but a woman and a 16-year-old boy were later released without being charged.
Grande suspended her world tour and cancelled several European shows, including two London shows, after the bombing. The tour will restart June 7 in Paris. In attacking the concert, the bomber targeted an audience full of teenagers and tweens- Grande fans call themselves “Arianators.” Some wore kitten ears, like the star of the show.
“The will be on my mind and in my heart everyday and I will think of them with everything I do for the rest of my life,” Grande wrote.
Some artists- including Blondie, Kiss and Take That- have cancelled shows after the blast, while other artists like Shawn Mendes and Celine Dion and Guns N’ Roses, plan to keep their European dates.
Guns N’ Roses, currently on tour with upcoming stops in Dublin, Lisbon, Madrid, Zurich, Munich, London and Paris, will continue , said a representative. Celine Dion also will honor her upcoming dates in Copenhagen, Stockholm, London and Paris, including a June 25 stop at the Manchester Arena, her publicist said. The manager for Phil Collins, scheduled to play Liverpool’s Echo Arena on June 2 and then five dates at London’s Royal Albert Hall starting June 4, said those shows would go on. Heavy metal band Iron Maiden will also perform as planned in Cardiff on Wednesday and committed to May 27 and May 28 dates in London. Shawn Mendes will also continue to perform. The shows will definitely have more security precautions.
Rose’s Scoop: Singer and actress Olivia Newton-John has revealed she has breast cancer again, 25 years after recovering from her original diagnosis. The “Grease” star has postponed upcoming tour dates after discovering that severe back pain she has been suffering is a result of the disease spreading to her spine. The 68-year-old was due to perform across the US and Canada next month.
