Ariana Grande reflects on Manchester Arena attack ahead of third anniversary: "With u always"

Ariana Grande has shared a message of solidarity to her fans ahead of the third anniversary of the Manchester Arena bombing tomorrow (May 22).

The singer had just completed her show at the venue on May 22, 2017 when a homemade explosive device was detonated in the foyer, killing 22 people.

“Not a day goes by that this doesn’t affect you and all of us still,” Grande wrote on Instagram.

“I will be thinking of you all week and weekend.”

Reflecting on the “sadness and tremendous heaviness of the anniversary”, she added: “My heart, thoughts, prayers are with you always.”

She signed off with a black heart and a bee emoji. The bee, a familiar emblem of Manchester, was adopted as a symbol of hope and resilience in the wake of the attack.

Earlier this year, the brother of bomber Salman Abedi was found guilty of murder.

Hashem Abedi plotted with his older brother Salman to detonate the homemade device, with the aim of killing as many people of possible.

The brothers reportedly brought large quantities of chemicals online and met with a convicted ISIS terrorist as they planned the May 2017 attack.

Abedi’s sentencing has since been postponed due to travel restrictions linked to coronavirus.

The pandemic has also altered plans for the annual memorial to the victims, with Manchester Cathedral now set to broadcast two services on its Facebook page.