Ariana Grande Arrives in the U.K. Ahead of Her One Love Manchester Benefit Concert
Ariana Grande has returned to the United Kingdom for the first time following the horrific attack at her Manchester concert on May 22 that left 22 people dead. The pop princess is back for her One Love Manchester Benefit Concert, which is slated to take place on Sunday at the Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground. Proceeds from the concert — which sold out in six minutes — will benefit the families of the victims of the terror attack through the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund.
Concertgoers aren’t only going to see the pint-sized star, however. A-listers acts like Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Pharrell Williams, Coldplay, Justin Bieber, Usher, and Niall Horan are all set to perform as well.
On Thursday, Grande arrived in the U.K. via a private jet with her parents and her boyfriend, Mac Miller, in tow. This is only the second time the “Dangerous Woman” singer has been seen since the attack. (She was spotted briefly on May 23 kissing Miller after returning to the U.S.)
The 23-year-old star dressed casually for the trip in a white sweatshirt and had her trademark ponytail in a braid. Miller was similarly styled in a gray hoodie. Grande carried a few backpacks and bags, and looked rather somber.
A little less than a week ago, Grande shared an open letter expressing her sadness over the terror strike at her concert. “My heart, prayers, and deepest condolences are with the victims of the Manchester Attack and their loved ones,” she began. “The only thing we can do now is choose how we let this affect us and how we live our lives from here on out.” It seems that this benefit concert is her way of choosing to respond.
She went on to say, “I am sorry for the pain and fear that you must be feeling and for the trauma that you, too, must be experiencing. We will never be able to understand why events like this take place because it is not in our nature, which is why we shouldn’t recoil. We will not quit or operate in fear. We will not let this divide us.”
In direct line with those sentiments, Grande has invited everyone who attended the May 22 concert to attend this benefit concert for free. The concert is also going to air on ABC (after the NBA Finals) and Freeform.
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