Ariana Grande to hold benefit concert in ‘incredibly brave city of Manchester’

Ariana Grande on Friday announced her intention to return to the “incredibly brave city of Manchester” to spend time with fans and play a benefit concert to assist victims of the suicide bomb attack launched after her show in the British city earlier this week.

“I have been thinking of my fans, and of you all, non-stop over the past week. The way you have handled all of this has been more inspiring and made me more proud than you’ll ever know,” the 23-year-old singer said in a statement on social media.

“The compassion, kindness, love, strength and oneness that you’ve shown one another this past week is the exact opposite of the heinous intentions it must take to pull off something as evil as what happened Monday. YOU are the opposite.”

Grande gave no details about when she would return other than to say they’d be coming as soon as things were confirmed.

The statement was her first since a brief tweet after the bombing saying she was “broken” and “so so sorry.” That day, Grande and her mother left Britain for Florida.

She acknowledged her own reaction to the incident in saying she was “sorry for the pain and fear you must be feeling and the trauma that you, too, must be feeling.” She also talked about not wanting to “go the rest of the year” without being out there for her fans; at this point, her tour has been suspended only until June 5.

There is nothing I or anyone can do to take away the pain you are feeling or to make this better,” she said to the victims of the attack and their loved ones. “However, I extend my hand and heart and everything I can possibly give to you and yours, should you want or need my help in any way.”

Those who were most tragically affected, Grande said, “will be on my mind and in my heart everyday and I will think of them with everything I do for the rest of my life.”