U.S. pop singer Ariana Grande says she will return to Manchester, England, to play a benefit show to raise money for the 22 victims and families of this week's terrorist attack.
Grande had just finished her show Monday night when a suicide bomber blew himself up in the crowded lobby of the Manchester Arena. She was unharmed, although deeply shaken by the attack, and canceled her concert dates for the next two weeks.
No date has yet been set for the benefit concert, which Grande announced in a letter posted on Twitter Friday:
"Our response [to the bombing] must be to come closer together, to help each other, to love more, to sing louder, and to live more kindly and generously than we did before. I'll be returning to the incredibly brave city of Manchester to spend some time with my fans and to have a benefit concert in honor of and to raise money for the victims and their families."
She said she would share details of the concert as soon as they are confirmed.
Grande is expected to resume the European portion of her world tour next month, with shows in France, Portugal, Spain and Italy.
Manchester native Salman Abedi, 22, killed himself in the Manchester attack, detonating a bomb filled with nuts and bolts that he carried in a backpack. In addition to the 22 dead, at least 116 children and adults were wounded.
Many of the victims were young girls, who make up a large part of Grande's fan base. Others were parents who had gone to arena to meet their children after the concert. The youngest victim was 8 years old.
British authorities detained eight people in connection with the attack, and Abedi's father and a brother, who live in Tripoli, Libya, were taken into custody there. Details on how they may be tied to the bombing have not been released.
