POP star Ariana Grande made a deeply emotional and defiant return to the stage for the first time since the terrorist bomb explosion at the end of her Manchester Arena concert two weeks ago which killed 22 people including children.
Some 55,000 people, including more than 10,000 who were at the original gig, gathered at the Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground to watch Grande perform for the first time since the attacks.
Greater Manchester police confirmed the One Love Manchester concert went ahead with even tighter security described as a "ring of steel" following the overnight attacks at London Bridge and Borough Market in which at least seven people were killed and 48 injured.
In front of a global TV audience of hundreds of millions from more than 50 countries and amidst the songs from an A-list line-up including Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Coldplay, Black Eyed Peas and Liam Gallagher, there were the messages of solidarity and messages of "For Our Angels" held aloft by may in the crowd.
Ariana Grande, her voice quivering with emotion, told the crowd: I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for being here today. I love you so so much.
"I want to thank you so much for coming together and being so loving, and strong and unified.
"I think the kind of love and unity you are displaying is the medicine the world really needs right now.
But amidst the sentiment there was some therapeutic laughter as the star, wearing a commemorative sweatshirt, recalled meeting the mother of bomb victim Olivia Campbell’s mother.
“I had the pleasure of meeting Olivia’s mummy a few days ago and as soon as I met her I started crying and gave her a big hug," she said.
And laughing she added: "She told me to stop crying as Olivia wouldn’t want me to cry and said Olivia would have wanted to hear the hits.”
She added: “This evening has been so light, so filled with fun and love energy and bright energy."
When tickets went on sale on Thursday, they sold out within six minutes, but Ticketmaster had kept back 14,200 free tickets for people who had been at the Manchester Arena.
They received more than 25,000 applications, prompting fury from fans, and Greater Manchester police said yesterday they were exploring whether any action could be taken against people who had deceitfully applied for tickets.
Ms Grande's manager Scott “Scooter” Braun in a particularly poignant message paid tribute to those who turned up despite the challenges of the London Bridge terror attack just the night before.
"Last night this nation was challenged and all of you were challenged, and you all had a decision to make whether you were going to come out here tonight," he said.
"And this is so beautiful. You guys made that decision. You looked fear right in the face and said, 'no we are Manchester and the world is watching'."
During her many appearances, the American singer could barely hide her emotion as she sang with a variety of A-listers from the Black Eyed Peas to Miley Cyrus.
Before a mass singalong when Ariana Grande joined Coldplay for the Oasis anthem Don't Look Back In Anger, there was barely a dry eye in the audience as Parrs Wood High School’s Harmony Choir from Manchester joined Ariana Grande on stage to sing her song My Everything. Some of the choir were at the Manchester Arena on the night of the attack.
There was no shortage of star-studded defiance.
A clip of Stevie Wonder beamed to milions tells the crowds he stands with Manchester “Anyone who tries to make anyone think that things of destruction have anything to do with God or Allah are a lie,” he says.
A clip is aired of Bono from U2 taking a moment during a recent concert to address the Manchester terror attack.
He says: “All of our hearts are with Manchester and the UK. So many of our friends in this great city are broken hearted for parents who lost their children and children who lost their parents in this senseless horror.
“There is no end to grief, which is how we know there is no end to love.”
Justin Bieber led the audience in a chant of “LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.” “Love always wins in the end,” he declares.
Pharrell Williams strode on and said, "Manchester, let the world hear your resilience", before bursting into Get Lucky, his hit collaboration with Daft Punk.
Robbie Williams reunited with Take That and before performing their ballad, Rule The World, Gary Barlow told the crowd to stare up at the sky and remember the victims.
“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this and right now I want us to stand strong, look at the sky and sing loud and proud,” he said.
Before the curtain came down on the concert, Liam Gallagher dedicated a rendition of Live Forever to "the beautiful people who were killed in the Manchester terror attack"
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