Ariana Grande's Manchester Charity Concert Made Justin Bieber Cry, Piers Morgan Apologize
Go inside the show that raised millions for victims of the May 22 attack in Manchester.
Less than two weeks after a bombing at her concert in Manchester and just hours after another deadly attack in London, Ariana Grande's charity show to help those affected by the May 22 incident at the Manchester Arena went on. It was an emotional night that found the singer taking the stage along with other superstars like Katy Perry, Coldplay, Miley Cyrus, Pharrell and Justin Bieber during the One Love Manchester event, which raised $2.6 million in donations for the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund.
The singer honored the victims during a set that included a cover of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," a performance of her song "My Everything" featuring Parrs Wood High School choir from Manchester as well as a performance of her raunchier hit, "Side to Side."
She said the decision to include the track on the set list came after she met with one of the victim's, Olivia Campbell, mother. "I had the pleasure of meeting Olivia's mommy a few days ago and as soon as I met her I started crying," she told the crowd. "I gave her a big hug and she said [to] stop crying because Olivia wouldn't have wanted me to cry. Then she told me that Olivia would have wanted to hear the hits. So that being said, we had a totally different show planned. We had a rehearsal yesterday and we changed everything."
Katy also honored those affected by the incident by wearing an outfit featuring the photos of the victims. “I’m so honored and humbled to be here tonight to share and spread love,” the singer said, via Variety. “Love conquers fear, and love conquers hate, and this love that we choose will give you strength, and it’s our greatest power.”
While the event was filled with many emotional moments, Bieber broke down during his set and tearfully spoke about the those who were hurt that night, according to the New York Daily News. "God is good in the midst of the darkness. God is good in the midst of evil. God is in the midst, no matter what is happening in the world. And he loves you, and he's here for you," he said. “I just want to honor those who were lost, those that were taken from us. We love you so much, to the families, we love you so much. Put both hands up to honor those people right now.”
Earlier in the weekend, Ariana visited victims of the attack at the hospital to show her support.
The Ariana-led event also made a fan out of Piers Morgan, who had previously criticized the singer for leaving England shortly after the attack last May and heading home. He apologized over the weekend on Twitter and applauded her efforts.
