The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Stars join Ariana Grande for city benefit concert
Coldplay, Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber and others to put on Manchester show in aid of grieving families and victims of bombing
Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Coldplay and a host of other international music stars will join Ariana Grande at a benefit concert for victims of the Manchester Arena attack.
Miley Cyrus, Take That, Usher, Pharrell Williams and One Direction star Niall Horan will also perform at the One Love Manchester gig at Lancashire Cricket Club’s Old Trafford ground in the city on Sunday.
Fans who were at the show last week, where 22 people died and dozens more were injured, will be offered free tickets to the event. The kick off time for Manchester United player Michael Carrick’s charity testimonial has been moved to accommodate the concert.
In a statement last week, Grande vowed to return to Manchester as she said “we won’t let hate win”.
All net ticket proceeds of the show will go directly to the We Love Manchester Emergency fund, set up by Manchester City Council in partnership with the British Red Cross to support grieving families and victims of the attack.
The fund stands at £6 million with Red Cross chief executive Mike Adamson praising Grande’s “gesture of solidarity”. He said: “This event is an opportunity for people to come together and celebrate things that unite us: music, humanity and the will to do something to help others.”
Earlier yesterday, Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said the force had been working with the singer’s management team on the “finer details” to ensure the gig goes ahead.
The senior officer told BBC Radio Manchester the pop star’s team were “very keen” to return to the city “sooner rather than later” for a proposed date this weekend but it had initially clashed with Carrick’s charity testimonial at the nearby football stadium.
Tickets for the concert will go on sale tomorrow at 10am. The gates for the show will open at 6pm on Sunday, with the match now kicking off at 2.30pm.
The concert will be broadcast live on BBC TV and radio, as well as Capital radio, and streamed online with a digital partner yet to be announced.
BBC director-general Lord Tony Hall said: “Bringing the nation together, the BBC is proud to be broadcasting what will undoubtedly be a moving tribute to the victims and their loved ones.”