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Ariana Grande joined by big names for Manchester benefit

Ariana Grande announced a benefit concert in Manchester via social media on Friday.

Ariana Grande announced a benefit concert in Manchester via social media on Friday. Photo: Getty

Ariana Grande is making good on her vow to return to Manchester, and she’s bringing some friends with her.

Grande was left “broken” after suicide bomber Salman Abedi killed 22 of her fans and injured 116 others when he detonated an improvided explosive outside her Manchester concert last week.

 The pop star will return to the city less than two weeks later, joined by some of the biggest names in music, for a charity concert aiding the bombing victims.

Publicists have confirmed Grande will be joined by the likes of Coldplay, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and Pharrell Williams at the 50-thousand seat Old Trafford cricket ground for a concert dubbed One Love Manchester.

Proceeds from the show will be donated to an emergency fund set up by the City of Manchester and the British Red Cross. Organisers expect at least £2 million (A$3.5 million) to be raised from the event.

Also confirmed for the event are Take That, Miley Cyrus and Pharrell Williams, One Direction’s Niall Horan and Usher, with more to be announced.

The 23-year-old Grande is offering free tickets to fans who were at her May 22 Manchester Arena show, but has asked attendees not to bring bags.

In a statement after the attack, Grande said “we won’t let this divide us. We won’t let hate win . Our response to this violence must be to come closer together, to help each other, to love more, to sing louder and to live more kindly and generously than we did before.”

Grande suspended her Dangerous Woman tour after the Manchester attack, including the cancellation of two shows at London’s O2 Arena.

But the singer promised to return to Manchester, saying: “I don’t want to go the rest of the year without being able to see and hold and uplift my fans”.

“I’ll be returning to the incredibly brave city of Manchester to spend time with my fans and to have a benefit concert in honour and raise money for the victims and their families.”

Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins told the BBC the majoprity of victim’s families were in favour of the concert.

“When the idea of the concert came up, my first reaction was, ‘we need to speak to the families of the victims and see what they feel’,” Chief Constable Hopkins told BBC Radio.

“It’s fair to say that the majority of them are very much in favour. There are some that clearly aren’t and that is absolutely understandable.”

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