Ariana Grande returned to Manchester with a star-studded benefit concert for the victims of the May 22 attack — just hours after another terrorist attack struck the United Kingdom, killing at least seven people and injuring dozens in London.
But the most recent terrorist attack in England didn’t stop concertgoers and performers from spreading messages of love, positivity and resilience.
Grande, who recently visited her injured fans in the hospital, performed in front of tens of thousands of fans, sometimes through tears, as they cheered her on, chanting “Manchester” and holding signs reading “for our angels.”
“Tonight is all about love, am I right?” Grande told the crowd.
“I want to thank you so much for coming together and being strong,” Grande said. “I love you guys so much, and I think the kind of love and unity you’re displaying is the medicine the world needs right now.”
The concert also included performances from Katy Perry, Coldplay, Justin Bieber, Pharrell Williams, Miley Cyrus, Niall Horan, Robbie Williams, the Black Eyed Peas, Liam Gallagher and Marcus Mumford, among others.
Grande sang several songs with other performers — including an emotional rendition of her song “My Everything” with the Parrs Wood High School choir from Manchester.
She told the audience she changed the set list at the last minute after she met the mother of Olivia Campbell, one of the fans who died in the attack. Her mother told Grande that Olivia would’ve wanted her to play her hits — and Grande launched into one of her latest singles, “Side to Side.”
“Evil will test us. It will show its face again. But we will be ready. We will be great. We will be fearless and we will honor our children. Hatred will never win. Fear will never divide us because on this day we stood with Manchester,” said Scooter Braun, Ariana Grande’s manager.
The benefit also featured a number of video messages, including one supercut of bands, artists and celebrities: Paul McCartney, Kings of Leon, Chance the Rapper, Demi Lovato, Rita Ora, Bastille, Chainsmokers, DJ Khaled, Twenty-One Pilots, Sam Smith, Jennifer Hudson and Kendall Jenner, who all said that they stood “with Manchester.”