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The Manchester Arena benefit concert raised close to £300,000, which will be put towards a memorial to the victims of the terror attack of 22 May
By IQ on 08 Dec 2017
We are Manchester, the September benefit concert staged by Manchester Arena, raised more than £270,000 for the Manchester Memorial Fund, which will go towards the cost of establishing a permanent memorial to the victims of 22 May’s bombing.
The successful 9 September charity event, headlined by Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, marked the re-opening of the 21,000-cap. venue following May’s terror attack, which killed 22 people.
In total, £274,085 has been raised for the charity, with further money to be collected from memorabilia auctions, which are still taking place. The government has also agreed to a one-off grant of £64,834, which represents the value of the VAT on the ticket sales.
“While we will never forget the horrific events of 22 May, we will not let them stop us from bringing live music to our city”
“While we will never forget the horrific events of 22 May, we will not let them stop us from bringing live music to our city,” says the SMG-operated arena’s general manager, James Allen. “[We are Manchester] was a landmark moment in helping the city move forward and I’m now honoured to present money raised by the event to the Manchester Memorial Fund.”
The lord mayor of Manchester, Eddy Newman, adds: “The concert has raised a significant amount of money for the Memorial Fund, and I’d like to thank the generosity of the organisers, the acts and, most of all, the people who attended.
“Manchester is determined to deliver a lasting and appropriate memorial, or memorials, for those who tragically lost their lives in the attack on 22 May. Developing these plans will be a careful process and time will be taken to ensure that families and other affected are consulted and involved as plans emerge.”
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