‘Thinking of you all today’: Ariana Grande pays tribute to Manchester Arena victims on first anniversary
Ariana Grande performs in Manchester (Getty)
Singer Ariana Grande has made a touching tribute to the victims of the Manchester Arena terror attack, which killed 22 people at her concert a year ago on Tuesday.
Posting on Twitter to mark the first anniversary of the atrocity, Grande said: “Thinking of you all today and every day.
“I love you with all of me and am sending you all of the light and warmth I have to offer on this challenging day.”
Grande included a “worker bee” emoji in her tweet, a symbol of Manchester which the city embraced following the terrorist attack last year. Some 10,000 got a tattoo of the bee to support the victims of the attack.
(ArianaGrande/Twitter)
Mothers, fathers, loved-up couples, superfans and children were among the 22 people killed as they made their way out of Manchester Arena following a performance by Grande on 22 May last year.
They were killed when 21-year old Salman Abedi detonated a suicide bomb in the foyer area of the arena.
The youngest victim, Saffie-Rose Roussos, was just eight years old when she died.
And the LGBT+ community lost a larger-than-life presence in PR manager Martyn Hett.
Writer and blogger Hett was famed for his iconic Twitter rapport and endless dedication to Coronation Street.
Sporting a tattoo of Deidre Barlow in tribute to the soap, he was no stranger to TV, and had appeared on Come Dine With Me with partner Russell Hayward as well as Tattoo Fixers.
A memorial campaign, Be More Martyn, saw the sale of several T-shirts in his honour.
Martyn’s brother and sister created a support group, Survivors Against Terror, to help other families who have lost loved ones or fallen victim to the attacks.
Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande perform on stage on June 4, 2017 in Manchester, England. (Dave Hogan/Getty)
Grande has been heavily supportive of the victims and their families following the Manchester terror attack.
She organised One Love Manchester in June 2017, a free tribute concert held two weeks after the attack in honour of the victims.
Nearly 11 million people watched the star-studded show, which featured Grande, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus and more.
A national service of memorial will be held on Tuesday in Manchester, which will be attended by Prince William and the Prime Minister, alongside the families and friends of the 22 victims.
Bells will ring out from St Ann’s Church, St Mary’s Catholic Church and the Manchester Town Hall at exactly 10.31pm on May 22, which is the same time of the attack, reports Manchester Evening News.
A cluster of 28 Japanese maple trees, named the trees of hope, have been planted near the venue. The trees feature a series of tags for people to pay their respects and tributes to the victims.
