Ariana Grande to perform Manchester bombing benefit concert on Sunday
Ariana Grande has set a date for the Manchester bombing benefit concert she promised.
Publicists confirmed to the AP that the singer will perform in Manchester on Sunday, joined by artists that include Coldplay, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and Pharrell Williams.
The show, titled "One Love Manchester," will take place at Old Trafford cricket ground, less than two weeks after a terrorist attack killed 22 people at Manchester Arena and wounded dozens more.
Proceeds will go to a joint fund by the city of Manchester and the British Red Cross.
On Friday, Grande tweeted a statement, saying she would be returning to Manchester to spend time with fans and to hold a benefit concert to honor and raise money for the victims and their families.
She wrote, "There is nothing I or anyone can do to take away the pain you are feeling to make this better. However, I extend my hand and heart and everything I possibly can give to you and yours, should you want or need my help in anyway."
Grande continued, "I have been thinking of my fans, and of you all, non stop over the past week."
She called the attack "heinous" and "evil" but said to those affected, "YOU are the opposite," and cited the compassion she saw the week of the bombing.
The singer, who has suspended her Dangerous Woman tour for the time being, said, "We will not quit or operate in fear. We won't let this divide us. We won't let hate win." She also implied that her Dangerous Woman tour will resume at some point, calling it a safe space for fans: "This will not change that … We will continue in honor of the ones we lost, their loved ones, my fans and all affected by this tragedy."
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the May 22 suicide bombing in a generic statement posted online. The bomber was identified as 22-year-old Salman Abedi, who was known to British authorities prior to the attack.
