Noel Gallagher broke down in tears while closing the first concert at Manchester Arena since 22 people were killed there in a terror attack in May.
The musician was headlining We Are Manchester – a benefit gig held to raise money for survivors and relatives of the victims who died after Salman Abedi fatally detonated a homemade nail bomb after an Ariana Grande concert.
Tears rolled down the Mancunian’s cheeks as he sang his hit Don’t Look Back in Anger, a song which quickly became an anthem of defiance in the days after the attack.
Addressing the 14,000-strong crowd beforehand, he said: ‘Every time you sing, we win. So sing like you’ve never sang before.’
Noel Gallagher broke down in tears while closing the first concert at Manchester Arena since 22 people were killed there in a terror attack in May
Tears rolled down his cheeks as he sang his hit Don’t Look Back in Anger which quickly became an anthem of defiance in the days after the attack
The event comes 110 days after suicide bomber Salman Abedi chose to set off a fatal device after a concert filled with young teenagers in May.
Tonight’s remembrance gig marks the reopening of Manchester Arena with proceeds of ticket sales going to the Manchester Memorial Fund, a charitable trust overseen by the city’s Lord Mayor to pay for the permanent memorial.
Comedian Peter Kay introduced Noel and his band to the stage, telling the crowd he had worked at the arena himself as a steward before fame and fortune.
He described the last four months as ‘horrendous’ but said: ‘We can’t let the terrorists win. We’ve got to remember the good times and let them outweigh the bad.
‘The victims will never be forgotten, but we have to move forward with love, not hate.’
Comedian Peter Kay introduced the headline act, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, telling the crowd he had worked at the arena himself as a steward before fame and fortune
Noel then appeared on stage, saying ‘good evening Manchester’, before launching into a string of crowd-pleasing Oasis anthems including Champagne Supernova, Wonderwall and Half The World Away.
But it was Don’t Look Back In Anger which saw emotions reach a climax as the audience and the singer alike were spotted with tears in their eyes.
Before he began singing, the star said: ‘I was sat at home watching Sky News broadcast the minute’s silence after what happened here and during that silence one girl broke it and started to sing.
‘I don’t know if she is here tonight but if she is I ******* love you. It’s amazing how everyone rallied around and started to sing. It’s become some sort of anthem for defiance I think.’
There were famous faces in the crowd including Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola who turned out with his family to pay tribute.
Pictured: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola spotted at tonight’s event as Courteeners’ frontman Liam Fray asked the crowd whether there were any City fans at the venue
Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham opened the event by calling out the names of everyone who died in the blast.
He told the packed-out arena: ‘We are Manchester, a city united, nothing will ever change us and nothing will ever divide us.’
Poet Tony Walsh Longfella then followed, reading out his now-famous piece of writing This Is The Place. He moved crowds to tears at a vigil outside Manchester town hall the day after the attack with his work.
But instead of asking the crowd to take part in a minute’s silence, he called for sixty seconds of noise.
The host of this evening’s gig comedian Russell Kane said Tony’s poem ‘punched’ him in the gut. He said: ‘There were people crying in the corridor, people crying in the crowd. It just got to me.’
Kane commended the esteemed poet for knowing how to lift the crowd’s spirits. He said: ‘When he got everyone to cheer that was brilliant. It was like someone had placed a full stop at the end of the grief and this beautiful music came out, and it was like the arena had reopened.’
Special event: This evening 14,000 people have packed into Manchester Arena for a benefit gig for the survivors of May’s terror attack. Pictured above, Pixie Lott was the first artist to perform
The crowd during the We Are Manchester benefit show, amid heightened security at the re-opening of the Manchester Arena tonight for the first time since the terror attack
Liam Fray of the Courteeners performs during the We Are Manchester benefit show
All about tonight: Pixie Lott (left) performed some of her biggest hits ‘Cry’ and ‘All About Tonight’ while the crowds went wild for Stockport band The Blossoms (right) who performed alongside The Coral
Pixie Lott opened the music for the evening followed by Girls Aloud star Nadine Coyle and Rik Astley who was highly commended for his rendition of Foo Fighters’ Everlong.
Stockport’s The Blossoms followed him to the stage before Manchester grime artist Bugzy Malone treated the crowd to a high-energy performance.
The Courteeners headed up by frontman Liam Fray then performed before funnyman Peter Kay took to the stage to introduce Noel Gallagher and his band High Flying Birds.
The Phoenix Nights star, who once worked as at the arena as a steward, moved the audience to tears as he described the last four months as ‘horrendous’.
All profits raised will go to the Manchester Memorial Fund, a charitable trust overseen by the city’s Lord Mayor to pay for the permanent memorial.
Emotional: A benefit concert in aid of the 22 killed in a bomb attack on Manchester Arena in May took place tonight. Pictured above, Rik Astley on stage
Tonight Charlotte Campbell, whose 15-year-old daughter Olivia died in the blast, returned to the venue alongside survivors who said: ‘We just have to get on with our lives’.
Speaking ahead of the concert, Miss Campbell said: ‘We have had to come back to show defiance, to show we are not scared and we don’t want Manchester to be scared.
‘Music was Olivia’s life. If she had been still here today she would have been walking through those doors with us, showing her defiance, that they may have got her but she’s not beaten. She’s here with us.’
Initially Miss Campbell and her partner couldn’t get tickets for the event, which sold out within minutes.
Manchester Arena reopens tonight for the first time in four months for a special benefit concert in aid of the 22 people killed in a terrorist attack
Charlotte Campbell and Paul Hodgson, the mother and stepfather of Manchester bombing victim Olivia Campbell-Hardy, arriving at the Manchester Arena this evening for the the We Are Manchester benefit show
People arriving before the concert as armed police and security guards were drafted in to cover the entrances and exits
Special security measures were put in place ahead of this evening’s gig with restrictions on the size of bags that can be brought inside the venue.
Those attending were subjected to searches and were not be able to bring backpacks or bags larger than 35cm x 40cm or 19cm.
A picture of the area at Manchester Arena where the bomb that killed dozens was detonated was released earlier this week in a bid to help survivors cope with its reopening.
The picture, posted on Thursday, showed the repair work underway inside the City Room before Saturday’s benefit show.
The image was released in conjunction with the Arena by a charity working to provide support to the families of the 22 people killed in the attack and all those affected.
View from the stage: Rik Astley’s drummer Simon Merry described tonight as an ’emotional, one-off gig’ and took this picture before he performed
‘Not ready to return’: Dozens on social media tweeted their support with the event, with some saying it was too soon for them to revisit the scene of the atrocity
‘Why isn’t this on TV?’ Dozens have been tweeting their anger that the concert wasn’t broadcast on live television
The emotional night has been filled with surprises with retired boxer Ricky Hatton addressing the crowd.
He described Manchester Arena as his ‘second home’ and said: ‘I could have moved my ******* bed in here at one point.’
The 38-year-old light welterweight said he felt proud of his home city for how its residents came together after the attack.
He said: ‘Believe you and me, this arena is still going to produce the best concerts and sports for years to come.’
The picture shows the decorated entrance, pictured, before tonight’s We Are Manchester benefit show
This image shows the scenes of devastation inside the Arena following the attack in May
Preparations: Police dogs were used to search the venue as Noel Gallagher’s soundcheck took place
Earlier this week, the general manager of the Manchester Arena promised a night of emotion, respectful remembrance and fun as the venue opens for the first time since the bomb attack.
James Allen said memories of the night 22 lives were cut short would never fade, but hailed the venue’s emergence from the atrocity as an vital milestone for Manchester’s continuing recovery.
He revealed the Arena’s management has worked closely with police and expert counsellors to liaise with the families of those who lost their lives to plan the evening’s structure and tone.
‘The last three and a bit months have been huge,’ said Mr Allen. ‘We have gone through a number of processes. Not only the grieving process, but also starting to then look at the recovery process.
‘One area was getting the building fixed, the areas outside the Arena, the City Room area.’
He said the Arena has taken key advice from Greater Manchester Police family liaison officers and the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace ahead of the reopening.
‘They advised us on every step,’ he said. Mr Allen revealed the inside of the Arena hasn’t changed at all.
‘Anybody who has been to shows here before can expect exactly the same great atmosphere, great entertainment and a fantastic night,’ he said.
‘But we have put in additional security measures and protocols outside the building that we would like people to follow, mainly to speed their process up.’