Ariana Grande will be joined by megastars including Justin Bieber, Coldplay, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry and Pharrell Williams at a huge fundraising concert this weekend.
Take That, One Direction star Niall Horan and R&B singer Usher will also perform at the One Love Manchester concert, which will raise money for the victims of the terror attack at her concert last week.
Fans who were at the original show at Manchester Arena last Monday can register to attend the event for free.
The concert at Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground on Sunday June 4 will be broadcast on BBC TV and radio. Organisers say all net ticket proceeds will go towards the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund, incorporating the M.E.N’s fundraising appeal, and say they hope to raise at least £2m.
All the artists performing have waived their usual fees, a source close to the event told the M.E.N.
Concert promoter Live Nation has underwritten the cost of the event and Ticketmaster will not be charging booking fees.
‘Broken’ Ariana suspended her tour and returned home to the US to be comforted by her loved ones after 22 people were killed and 120 more were injured when a suicide bomber targeted crowds leaving Manchester Arena on Monday May 22.
But now she is to bravely revisit the city to raise money for the families affected by the atrocity.
Ariana vowed to return in an emotional statement released last week, but details had yet to be confirmed until today.
In it, she told her 46.4m Twitter followers: “I don’t want to go the rest of the year without being able to see and hold and uplift my fans, the same way they continue to uplift me.
“Our response to this violence must be to come closer together, to help each other, to love more, to sing louder and to live more kindly and generously than we did before.
“I’ll be returning to the incredibly brave city of Manchester to spend time with my fans and to have a benefit concert in honour of and to raise money for the victims and their families.”
She had hinted that she would be joined by some big names as she thanked ‘fellow musicians and friends for reaching out to be a part of our expression of love for Manchester’.
Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said the majority of the victims’ families were ‘very much in favour’ of the concert.
Mr Hopkins told BBC Radio Manchester: “When the idea of the concert came up, the first reaction was we need to speak to the families of the victims and see what they feel.
“It is fair to say that the majority of them are very much in favour, there are some that clearly aren’t and that is absolutely understandable.
“Ariana Grande’s team were very keen to come back to Manchester sooner rather than later.”
David Hodgkiss OBE, Chairman of Lancashire County Cricket Club, said: “The victims, families and friends of all those affected by the tragic events of Monday May 22 remain at the forefront of everyone’s thoughts.
“We are proud to be part of what promises to be an emotional occasion, and a showcase of music, enjoyment, memories and reflection, that we can hope can go some way to easing the pain and heartache that this great city has endured in the last week.
“The pride, strength and spirit that has been seen in the last week is testament to the character of the people of Manchester, and this has continued with the warmth and generosity of some of the world’s greatest music artists and their management teams, as well as all of the other people, organisations and services that are part of making the concert on Sunday 4 June happen.”
Security is expected to be tight at the event and organisers are asking concert-goers not to attend with bags, in line with the stringent searches in place at The Courteeners concert at the venue on Saturday.
Tickets go on sale on Thursday June 1 at 10am from Ticketmaster.
Fans who were at Ariana Grande’s original show on Monday May 22 can register to attend the concert for free. Registration is open now here and must be completed by 4pm on Wednesday May 31.
Once you have registered, Ticketmaster will email you a unique link which you will need to use to redeem your free ticket(s) by 8:59am on Friday June 2.
tage times for individual performances have yet to be confirmed but the show times are as follows:
Gates open: 6pm
Show starts: 7.15pm
Show ends: 10.15pm
