Show Goes On for Grande and ‘One Love Manchester’

Benefit concert to air in more than 50 countries including U.S.

Ariana Grande

The One Love Manchester event organized by Ariana Grande will be televised in more than 50 countries. (Photo: Getty Images)

Ariana Grande’s star-studded One Love Manchester benefit concert will be seen in more the 50 countries, including the U.S. on ABC, according to the BBC, which will pool coverage of the event taking place today at at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground. Justin Bieber, Coldplay, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Pharrell Williams and Niall Horan are among those taking the stage with Grande.

After a Saturday terror attack claimed seven lives and left 43 injured on London Bridge and in the Borough Market Grande tweeted “Praying for London,” and vowed to go on with the show. Her manager, Scooter Braun, released the following statement: “The emotional words make it clear that artists and organizers are determined to stand strong in the aftermath of the London attacks. After the events last night in London, and those in Manchester just two weeks ago, we feel a sense of responsibility to honor those lost, injured, and affected. We plan to honor them with courage, bravery, and defiance in the face of fear. Today’s One Love Manchester benefit concert will not only continue, but will do so with greater purpose.”

Manchester is 163 miles — about a three-hour drive — north of London. The 23-year-old American pop star orchestrated today’s show to benefit the families of the 22 dead as well as the 116 wounded in a terror attack that caught concertgoers exiting her May 22 performance a the Manchester Arena. She has spent the days leading up to the event traveling the city, visiting victims and surviving relatives.

In the U.S., ABC will carry the One Love Manchester concert live on its Freeform cable channel beginning at 2 pm ET, and will later air on ABC a one-hour highlights package following game 2 of the NBA Finals,  scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and MTV.com plan to stream the event live online. BBC One will carry the event in the U.K. and provide the global feed.

Other broadcast partners include Australia’s Channel Nine and UKTV, Italy’s RAI , NBC Universal/E! Latinoamérica, Brazil’s Globosat, China’s Tencent and SVT in Sweden.

Other talent on the One Love Manchester bill includes Black Eyed Peas, Little Mix, and Manchester locals Robbie Williams and Take That. All of the artists are donating their services and promoter Live Nation has underwritten the cost of the event so all proceeds from ticket sales as well as the international distribution of TV rights can go towards the “We Love Manchester Emergency Fund,” set up by Manchester City Council in partnership with the British Red Cross.

Other artists have also stepped forward to help, with Eminem and Justin Timberlake initiating fundraising efforts that together totaled an estimated $2 million since May 27.

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