On 22nd May 2017, Ariana Grande’s concert at the Manchester Arena was struck by a terrorist attack, injuring 1,017 and killing 22 people. After halting her tour, Ariana returned to Manchester only two weeks later to perform at One Love Manchester. This benefit concert was held to raise money for We Love Manchester – an organization formed to aid the victims of the attack and their families. Many bands performed at the benefit, one such band being the popular British rock band Coldplay.
They joined Ariana on stage and told her that, after she’d been singing all night, they’d like to sing a song for her. They launched into a cover of ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ by Oasis, one of Manchester’s most legendary bands. As they sang, Ariana swayed to the music, mouthing along to the words. The lyrics were also shown at the back of the stage so the audience could sing along too – and sing they did, the encouraging words of the song echoing around the grounds of the concert.
Many other iconic musicians showed up to play the One Love Manchester benefit concert, including the likes of Miley Cyrus, Niall Horan, and Katy Perry, as well as Imogen Heap – well known to be one of Ariana Grande’s favourite artists. After their performance with Ariana, Coldplay also went on to play a number of hits of their own, including ‘Fix You’ and ‘Viva La Vida’. Then, in a full circle moment, they joined up to play a song with Manchester legend and Oasis lead singer, Liam Gallagher.
The crowd went wild as Liam took to the stage in a surprise appearance. Despite wanting to perform at the benefit concert, Liam had stated he was unable to due to being scheduled to perform at a festival in Germany. However, he decided not to let this stop him and flew straight in from Germany to perform. Fans went wild as he joined Coldplay in singing the hit Oasis track ‘Live Forever’. One online viewer commented, “Props to Liam for showing up when his city needed him the most!”
Shown on BBC One, alongside broadcasters in 38 other countries, the benefit concert averaged 10.9 million viewers on the BBC, and it sold 50,000 tickets, including 14,000 free tickets for attendees of the original Ariana Grande concert. In total, the concert managed to raise more than £17 million for the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund, £2.35 million of which was raised during the concert itself. Praised for its charitable achievements, its safety and security procedures, as well as its show of resilience in the face of violence, One Love Manchester was an impressive and moving show of solidarity between legendary musicians and fans alike.
If you enjoyed the inspiring performance of Coldplay at the One Love Manchester benefit concert, be sure to check out more from this renowned British rock band. You can tune into their latest music and updates by subscribing to their official YouTube Channel. For insights into their lifestyles and backstage moments, follow them on their Facebook and Instagram pages. Explore their albums, tours, and other merchandise on their official website.