Manchester welcomes stars for benefit concert
Ariana Grande took to the stage last night for a sell-out One Love Manchester benefit concert, less than two weeks after her Manchester Arena gig was targetted by a suicide bomber.
Last night’s event in front of 50,000 at the city’s Old Trafford cricket ground began with a oneminute silence for the 22 people who lost their lives at the Arena.
Marcus Mumford opened the concert then welcomed Take That to the stage to open their set with their crowd-pleasing song Let It Shine.
In between renditions of Giants and Rule The World, Gary Barlow told the crowd: “Thank you everybody for coming out tonight, thank you for everybody watching at home, thanks to Ariana for inviting us tonight.
“Our thoughts are with everyone that’s been affected by this.
“We want to stand strong, look at the sky and sing loud and proud.”
Concert-goers began queueing outside Lancashire Cricket Club’s Old Trafford ground from 8.30am ahead of the One Love Manchester gig.
All Grande fans who attended the gig on May 22 were offered free passes to the benefit concert.
Barlow welcomed former Take That bandmate Robbie Williams to the stage as “our friend, our brother,” before the foursome took a bow together and Williams led the crowd in a singalong to his hit Strong, with the lyrics changed to “Manchester, we’re strong, we’re strong, we’re strong, we’re still singing our songs.”
Williams, who appeared to be wearing a sweatshirt from Justin Bieber’s Purpose world tour, then treated the audience to his anthem Angels.
Ahead of the concert Grande’s fans who were caught up in the Manchester bombing have said they were nervous to return to a concert so soon after recent terror attacks but determined to carry on to show solidarity with the victims.
Proceeds from the concert will go towards 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 bombing.
Pharrell Williams then opened his performance with a rendition of Get Lucky, his hit with Daft Punk, before Miley Cyrus joined him on stage to perform Williams’ hit Happy.
Grande’s manager Scooter Braun appeared on stage wearing a black One Love Manchester baseball cap with the pink logo for the concert on the front to introduce the singer on her return to the city less than two weeks after she said she was “broken” by the attack.
Grande came out dressed in an oversized white One Love Manchester sweatshirt, ripped jeans and high-heeled black boots accompanied by a company of dancers wearing the same sweatshirts in black.
She performed her hits Be Alright and Break Free, shouting: “Manchester make some noise!” before pink streamers rained down on the crowd.
Little Mix took to the stage next then Grande later appeared with Victoria Monet to sing their duet Better Days and then joined Black Eyed Peas to perform their hit Where Is The Love?
Last night’s line-up was completed by Niall Horan, a choir from Parrs Wood High School, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Coldplay... and Liam Gallagher.