Ariana Grande returned to the stage Sunday to perform at the One Love Manchester concert, an event she co-organized to help benefit the survivors and families of the victims of the May terror attack.

A suicide bomber had killed 22 people and injured dozens more at the singer's concert in Manchester Arena. On Saturday, just a day before the benefit show, three people drove a van into pedestrians walking on London Bridge and stabbed others nearby, killing seven people and injuring dozens.

Marcus Mumford opened the show with a minute's silence for the attack victims and told the crowd, "Let's not be afraid," before performing his 2009 song "Timeshel."

Take That, a British boy band most popular in the '90s and mostly in Europe and Asia, then performed their 2006 song "Shine." They followed it up with their new track "Giants" and their 2006 song "Rule the World."

Original member Robbie Williams, whose departure from the group made headlines, then came out and sang his 1998 solo hit "Strong," which he began a cappella and which paid tribute to Manchester.

"Manchester is strong, we're strong, we're strong, we're still singing out song, our song, our song," he sang. "Manchester, are you with me?"

He then performed his biggest hit, the 1997 ballad "Angels," while the crowd sang along.

After Robbie's set, a video of Bono onstage a U2 concert was then shown. The group performed in Chicago this weekend.

"All our hearts are with Manchester and with the U.K.," he said, calling the attacks "senseless, senseless horror."

"There's no end to grief, that's how we know there's no end to love," he said.

Pharrell Williams then took the stage to perform his and Daft Punk's 2013 hit "Get Lucky."

"I'm bowing because despite all the things that have been going on in this place, I don't feel, or smell, or see or feel any fear," he said. "All I fell here tonight is love resilience, positivity and you know what? I hate to be corny but it actually makes me happy."

Miley Cyrus then joined him onstage for a duet of his 2013 hit "Happy."

"The most important responsibility we have on this entire planet is to take care of one another," Cyrus told the crowd. "And look what we're doing today and how amazing that is."

Miley then performed her new ballad "Inspired," which she had dedicated to dad Billy Ray Cyrus.

Niall Horran then performed his 2016 solo tracks "Slow Hands" and "This Town."

"We love you, we're with you," he said. "The whole world is watching."

Ariana's manager Scooter Braun then took the stage to introduce the singer. He paid tribute to the survivors of the attack, the people of Manchester andAriana, thanking her for "stepping up and taking action" after the tragedy.

Both of them had visited injured survivors in the hospital. Scooter said one of them, a 15-year-old boy named Adam, who lost his best friend in the attack, told him, "Hey Scooter make sure you tell them, don't go forward in anger."

"Fear will never divide us because on this day, we all stood with Manchester," he said.

Grande then appeared onstage, wearing a white sweatshirt that reads "One Love Manchester," with backup dancers wearing the same outfit in black. She opened her set with her 2016 track "Be Alright" and followed it with "Break Free."

Stevie Wonder then appeared in a video message, saying, "I'm with all of you in Manchester. W e all know that love is truly the key I don't care what ethnicity you are what religion you are....Yes, I stand with you Manchester." He then sang a few lyrics from his 1976 song "Love's in Need of Love Today."

Little Mix took the stage to sing their 2012 hit "Wings."

Grande then returned with Victoria Monét to perform their 2016 ballad "Better Days."

The Black Eyed Peas then performed their breakout hit "Where Is the Love?" with Grande.

She then introduced one of her inspirations, Imogen Heap, who gave a piano rendition of "Hide and Seek."

David Beckham, who lead the Manchester United soccer team for years, then appeared in a video message.

"As a father, what happened made me truly sad and it's a day we will never forget," he said. "Tonight is about remembering those who suffered so much on that night but also celebrating the spirit of this great city. It's a place we all love. have a good evening."

Ariana then returned to the stage to perform her ballad "My Everything" with the Parrs Wood Harmony children's choir. Some of the members are survivors of the Manchester attack.

Onstage, Ariana hugged a little girl in front, bringing her and many audience members to tears.

Ariana lightened the mood; She and boyfriend and rapper Mac Miller then performed their upbeat hit "The Way." She also joined him for a performance of his own track "Dang!" Explicit lyrics were censored on TV broadcasts.

Meanwhile, "the queen" herself Helen Mirren took to Instagram to pay tribute to Ariana.

"My heroine with all her friends at the concert. Evil must not prevail," she wrote.

Ariana brought Miley back to the stage. The two embraced onstage before performing a duet of Crowded House's 1986 hit ballad "Don't Dream It's Over," which they had performed together for Miley's Happie Hippie Presents: Backyard Sessions series.

Ariana got emotional onstage as she thanked the fans and recalled meeting the mother of a survivor named Olivia and talking to her about the benefit concert. She said the mom told her her daughter "would have wanted to hear the hits."

She then performed a solo rendition of her and Nicki Minaj's track "Side to Side."

Katy Perry took the stage and gave a short speech, saying, "It's not easy to always choose love, is it? Especially in moments like these, right? But love conquers fear and love conquers hate and this love that you choose will give you strength and it's our greatest power."

The singer performed an acoustic version of her 2010 hit "Part of Me" and followed it up with her big anthem "Roar."

Justin Bieber, who Scooter also manages, stepped out onstage with his acoustic guitar and played his new songs "Cold Water" and "I Won't Let Go."

He then got emotional as he paid tribute to the victims and their families.

"Everybody say, 'We honor you! We love you!" he told the crowd, who responded.

Ariana returned to the stage to perform a solo rendition of her and The Weeknd's "Love Me Harder."

A video montage of stars paying tribute to the victims and sending their love to Manchester was screened. Celebs included Halsey, Bastille, Demi Lovato, Jennifer Hudson, Chance the Rapper, DJ Khaled, Kendall Jenner, Kings Of Leon, Rita Ora and Twenty One Pilots.

Coldplay took the stage and Chris Martin thanked Ariana before launching into a performance of Oasis's 1995 hit "Don't Look Back in Anger," which a crowd had sung at St. Ann's Square in Manchester days after the attack during a moment of silence for the victims. Members of the audience at the Manchester benefit concert sang along with Chris.

Oasis had formed in Manchester in 1991.

Coldplay then performed a cover of Manchester-based rock band James' 1990 ballad "Sit Down" as well as their own 2005 hit "Fix You" as rainbow confetti rained down on the crowd.

The audience went wild as the group launched into their 2008 anthem "Viva la Vida." The group then performed their song "Something Just Like This" before revealing a surprise: Oasis singer Liam Gallagher, who performed the group's 1995 song "Rock 'n' Roll star with another band.

He also sang his new solo single "Wall of Glass" and Oasis' 1994 hit "Live Forever," during which he was joined by Chris.

Ariana returned to the stage again to perform her 2014 single "One Last Time," which was re-released on iTunes in support of Manchester, and was joined by the night's performers, who danced and clapped as she sang.

Ariana then brought the tears again with a haunting rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

Source:
courtesy of E!ONLINE

by Corinne Heller

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