Ariana Grande Honors Manchester Bombing Victims on Fourth Anniversary of Attack
Ariana Grande paid tribute to the victims of the Manchester bombing on the fourth anniversary of the attack.
On Saturday (May 22), the "Break Free" singer shared an Instagram tribute to the 22 victims who lost their lives in the 2017 terrorist attack.
"Although grief is ever-present and our relationship to it is constantly evolving and expressing itself in different ways every day, year-round ... I know that this anniversary will never be an easy one. Please know that I am thinking of you today," Grande wrote in an Instagram Story.
She added, "Manchester, my heart is with you today and always," alongside a heart made out of bumblebees.
Grande also listed the names of the people who lost their lives during the attack: John Atkinson, Courtney Boyle, Philip Tron, Kelly Brewster, Georgina Callander, Olivia Campbell-Hardy, Liam Curry, Chloe Rutherford, Wendy Fawell, Martyn Hett, Alison Howe, Lisa Lees, Megan Hurley, Nell Jones, Michelle Kiss, Angelika Klis, Marcin Klis, Morrell Leczkowski, Eilidh MacLeod, Elaine McIver, Saffie Rose Rouses and Jane Tweddle.
See the tribute, below:
Grande previously said that music became her safe space and was something that helped her heal following the incident.
"May 22, 2017 will leave me speechless and filled with questions for the rest of my life," the singer said in her documentary series in 2018.
"Music is an escape. Music is the safest thing I've ever known," she continued. "Music — pop music, stan culture — is something that brings people together, introduces them to some of their best friends, and makes them feel like they can be themselves. It is comfort. It is fun. It is expression. It is happiness. It is the last thing that would ever harm someone. It is safe."
Grande described the attack as "shocking and heartbreaking in a way that seems impossible to fully recover from."
Two weeks following the bombing, the pop star returned to Manchester to perform at a star-studded concert event called "One Love Manchester." The event raised $13 million for people affected by the tragedy.