Pop stars to pay tribute to Manchester attack victims

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON

U.S. pop singer Ariana Grande will play a benefit concert in Manchester together with many other pop stars on Sunday, June 4, only two weeks after a suicide attack that killed 22 people and injured more than 60 in a concert hall.

Justin Bieber, Coldplay, Katy Perry, Take That, Niall Horan from One Direction, Miley Cyrus, Usher and Pharrell are the other stars who will appear on stage in the tribute concert.

"I don't want to go the rest of the year without being able to see and hold and uplift my fans," Grande had said in the days that followed the bombing her 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," Grande had said.

The concert will be held at the Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground with a capacity of 50,000 and it will be televised on BBC channels with the proceeds going to We Love Manchester emergency fund.

British-born Salman Abedi, 22, who has Libyan heritage, remains the main suspect in the suicide attack that targeted a foyer area of the Manchester Arena as concertgoers left a performance by American pop singer Ariana Grande.

14 people are under police custody in the investigation launched into the terror attack.