Ariana Grande’s One Love Manchester benefit concert raised over £2million in the three hours it was on air on Sunday (4 June) night.
The fundraising gig, which saw the likes of Coldplay, Liam Gallagher, Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry perform, was set up to raise money for those affected by the Manchester bombing last month.
The money raised during last night’s show now brings the total collected to over £10m, which will go directly to helping the victims and the families affected by the terror attack.
22 people were killed and many more injured when a suicide bomber detonated a nail bomb at an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena.
Having cancelled the rest of her Dangerous Woman tour in the wake of the events, the US singer arranged the One Love Manchester gig, where she also made a defiant return to the stage for the first time since the attack.
Ariana has also officially re-released her single ‘One Last Time’, with all proceeds going to the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund, which was set up by Manchester City Council in partnership with the British Red Cross.
The song has special significance as it was her encore on the night of the attack.
It is currently sitting at number one on the iTunes chart, with her ‘Dangerous Woman’ album also topping the iTunes album chart, followed by her debut collection ‘My Everything’ at number three.
During the concert, Ariana took a moment to reflect on the evening’s events, saying: “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.”
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.