Ariana Grande officially named honorary Manchester citizen

Written by . Published: July 12 2017

Ariana Grande has been honored by councilors in Manchester, England for her response to the terror attack after her concert in the city.


Local politicians passed a unanimous motion naming Ariana the city's first ever honorary citizen at a special meeting held on Wednesday (12Jul17) to remember the 22 people who died in the bombing at her Manchester Arena gig in May (17).

The Side to Side singer, 24, returned to the city less than two weeks after the atrocity to perform again, organising the star-studded One Love Manchester charity concert raising funds for victims and their families.

To honor her response to the attack Manchester City Council passed the motion which recognized her "outstanding and exceptional contribution" to Manchester.

Proposing the motion council leader Richard Leese praised the singer for her decision to return to the city to comfort those who lost loved ones, saying he would've understood if she had stayed in the U.S.

He added, "Instead she (Ariana), as an artist, a performer, was determined that she would not perform again until she had returned to Manchester to perform.

"She brought comfort to thousands, she raised millions for the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund and became the first patron of that fund. That's why Lord Mayor this morning I propose Ariana Grande is made the first honorary citizen of Manchester."

Bereaved family members also spoke at the meeting, at which councilors discussed building a permanent memorial to remember those lost in the tragedy.

Pop superstars including Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, and Miley Cyrus traveled to Manchester for Ariana's charity concert last month, which raised more than $3 million for the victims' fund.