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28 March 2024

Ariana Grande made honorary citizen of Manchester

Pic: Bang

Published
By Bang

Ariana Grande has been made an honorary citizen of Manchester after she put together the One Love concert to help the victims of the terror attack at her concert in the city.

The 23-year-old singer organised a charity concert in the city to raise money for victims of the terrorist attack at her concert at Manchester Arena in May and councillors voted unanimously to give her the title in recognition of her contribution.

Ariana's One Love concert raised almost £3m for the victims and their families and she also visited a number of people in hospital when she returned to the city, less than two weeks after the incident.

Council leader Sir Richard Leese, put forward the motion and called Ariana "a young American woman for whom it would have been understandable if she never wanted to see this place again".

He added: "But no - instead she, as an artist, a performer, was determined that she would not perform again until she had returned to Manchester to perform.

"In doing so, she brought comfort to thousands, she raised millions for the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund and became the first patron of that fund. And that's why I propose that Ariana Grande is made the first honorary citizen of the city of Manchester."

Ariana is the first recipient of the new system rewarding people who have made an outstanding contribution to the city without living in it.

Ariana was joined at the concert by a number of performers including Coldplay, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry and Niall Horan.

Local star Liam Gallagher also played, while his brother Noel donated the profits from 'Don't Look Back In Anger' to the fund.

The council meeting ended with a performance of the Oasis song, by the Halle String Quartet.

Lord Mayor, Eddy Newman, said called the track "an anthem for the way the city and the people of Manchester have remained strong and committed to peace and justice in defiance of the act of evil that was committed at the arena".