London attacks imbue One Love Manchester benefit with a defiant sense of purpose
Saturday's horrific terror attacks in London -- the U.K.'s second in two weeks -- won't derail the planned One Love Manchester benefit concert set up after the first attack two weeks ago. Quite the contrary, in fact.
A statement released in the hours after the incident reaffirmed plans to go on with the show. One Love was originally conceived as a response to the May 22 bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, but now it will also stand as a broader act of protest and defiance against those who would harm innocents.
The statement, released on Instagram by Grande's manager, Scooter Braun, can be read in full below:
The Sunday benefit performance features a who's-who lineup of pop sensations that includes Pharrell, Black Eyed Peas, Katy Perry, Usher, Coldplay, and Justin Bieber -- among others, including Grande herself.
Attendees should expect heightened security in the wake of Saturday's attacks. Manchester law enforcement has already pledged an increased police presence at the event, and attendees have been asked to leave their bags at home.
The three-hour performance -- which kicks off at 7 p.m. in Manchester (that's 2 p.m. ET) -- will be streamed both locally and in at least 38 countries around the world, including the U.S., China, France, Canada, Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand. All proceeds from the benefit will go to a charity fund set up by the Manchester City Council in the wake of the May 22 attack.
Topics Music Celebrities
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
