Manchester Arena to reopen, with fund-raising concert helmed by Noel Gallagher

Britain's Prince Charles (fourth from right) meeting medical and security staff at the Manchester Arena on June 26, 2017. The staff had helped the victims of the May 22 bomb attack at the arena. PHOTO: AFP

MANCHESTER - The Manchester Arena, where a suicide bomber killed 22 people following an Ariana Grande concert in May, will reopen on Sept 9 with a benefit show headlined by Noel Gallagher of Oasis.

The We Are Manchester concert, also featuring British acts such as The Courteeners, Blossoms and Rick Astley, will raise money to establish a permanent memorial for the victims of the May 22 attack.

Ms Sue Murphy, deputy leader of the Manchester City Council, called the concert "a powerful symbol of this defiant and resilient spirit".

In addition to his roots in Manchester, Gallagher's songs with Oasis became a soundtrack for both mourning and hope in the wake of the attacks, with a crowd singing Don't Look Back In Anger at a memorial.

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