Ariana Grande made a triumphant return to the stage as she performed a collection of her hits at the One Love Manchester benefit concert.
The US singer organised the fundraiser in the wake of the Manchester terror attack, which saw 22 people killed at her concert at the city’s arena on 22 May.
The concert, held at the Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground, marked the first time the singer had performed since the attack, having postponed the rest of her Dangerous Woman tour.
Having performed numerous times throughout the gig, Ariana could not hold back the tears as the concert came to an end.
She sang a rendition of her hit ‘One More Time’, which has a special significance, as it was her encore on the fateful night.
Fans belted out the lyrics at Old Trafford, having helped up song rocket up the charts in tribute the to the victims.
Ariana then closed the show with a moving rendition of ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’, where many members of the crowd could also be seen in tears.
Earlier in the evening, Ariana chose her first song as her upbeat hit ‘Be Alright’, in a clear message of defiance.
She was introduced to the stage by manager Scooter Braun, who made an impassioned speech, saying: “Hatred will never win, fear will never divide us, because tonight we stood with Manchester.”
Ariana then went on to perform other hits, including ‘Break Free’, ‘Thinking About You’, ‘Side To Side’ and ‘Love Me Harder’.
Stand-out moments also included a duet with the Black Eyed Peas on their poignant song ‘Where Is The Love?’, and a rendition of Crowded House’s ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’ with close friend Miley Cyrus.
She was also joined on stage by the Parrs Wood High School Choir, when the occasion became too much for one member.
A young school girl ended up in tears as she performed ‘My Everything’ with her hero, melting the hearts of the nation in the process.
Ariana was then joined by her boyfriend Mac Miller to perform ‘The Way’ and ‘Dang’.
Taking a moment out of the concert to reflect on the evening’s events, she said: “I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for being here today, I love you so, so much. Thank you so much for coming together and being strong and unified. I think the kind of love and unity you are displaying is the medicine the world needs right now. So thank you for being just that.”
Detailing her experience of meeting the mother of 15-year-old victim Olivia Campbell earlier this week, she continued: “I had the pleasure of meeting Olivia’s mummy a few days ago and I started crying and gave her a big hug. She told me Olivia would have wanted to hear the hits. So obviously, we had a totally different show planned, then we had a rehearsal yesterday and changed everything. This evening has been so light and filled with fun and bright energy, so I want to thank you for that.”
Other highlights from the concert included a surprise performance from Liam Gallagher, who paid tribute to his hometown with renditions of old Oasis classics.
Coldplay also delivered a spine-tingling moment, as they sang Oasis’ most famous hit ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’, whose lyrics took on new meaning in the wake of the attack.
Other acts who performed at One Love Manchester included Justin Bieber, Take That, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Robbie Williams and Little Mix.
All net ticket proceeds will go towards the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund set up by Manchester City Council in partnership with the British Red Cross.
To donate £5 to the We Love Manchester fund, text LOVE to 70507. Texts cost £5 plus your standard network rate, with 100% of your donation going to the We Love Manchester fund.