How Ariana Grande Quietly, Powerfully Remembered the Manchester Bombing on Its Anniversary

Yesterday was the second anniversary of the deadly terrorist bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester. The explosion killed 22 people and wounded dozens of others, and since then it has had a profound impact on the singer-songwriter-actress. Last night, she took to social media to offer a quiet, powerful statement about the anniversary.

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

Yesterday was the second anniversary of the deadly terrorist bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester. The explosion killed 22 people and wounded dozens of others, and has had a profound impact on the singer-songwriter-actress. Yesterday and then later in the evening, she took to social media to offer a quiet, powerful statement about the anniversary.

Earlier in the day she posted a photo of a bee—the worker bee is the symbol of Manchester. (Ariana also has a tattoo of a bee in memory of the city.) Later on, in a post that's no longer on her Instagram Stories, she re-posted her backup singer Scott Nicholson, who posted a picture of the One Love Manchester concert with the caption, "We love and live, everyday, with and for you 🐝💛."

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Shortly after the bombing in June 2017, Ariana hosted One Love Manchester with guests including Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus, and raised $23 million for the victims and their families. In an interview with ELLE, she explained, "When I got home from tour, I had really wild dizzy spells, this feeling like I couldn’t breathe." She added, "I would be in a good mood, fine and happy, and they would hit me out of nowhere. I’ve always had anxiety, but it had never been physical before. There were a couple of months straight where I felt so upside down."

Ariana's mom Joan wrote on her Twitter yesterday, "All my love Manchester, today and everyday…you are with me always, in my heart and in my mind. To ALL of you who have suffered and still suffer from tremendous loss, trauma or devastating injury..I love you, I send you a warm hug, today and forever. #OneLove."

Ariana will be performing in August of this year at Manchester to headline their Pride Festival. She revealed the news in February, saying, "Manchester babes, i’m so thrilled to be headlining pride. my heart. I cant wait to see u and I love you so so much." When she'd announced her tour, she hinted that she had something special for the city—which now, obviously, holds a special place in her heart.

Here's her mom's tweet:

Here are the images from her Instagram Stories:

Black, Darkness, Light, Sky, Atmosphere, Font, Night, Midnight, Space,

(Image credit: Ariana Grande)

Purple, Pink, Light, Lighting, Sky, Magenta, Technology, Display device, Stage,

(Image credit: Ariana Grande)

It's quiet, but powerful and beautiful.

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Katherine J. Igoe
Katherine J. Igoe
Contributing Editor

Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award. 

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.