Manchester remembers Arena bombing victims despite coronavirus restrictions

The people of Manchester are being encouraged not to gather together or leave tributes to mark the third anniversary of the Manchester Arena terror attack on Friday 22nd May due to coronavirus-related restrictions.

The Dean of Manchester, Rogers Govender, will lead prayers which will be livestreamed at 9am and 4.30pm on the Manchester Cathedral Facebook page.

During the morning service, viewers will be invited to join in by lighting a candle in remembrance.

BBC Radio Manchester will be marking 10.31pm on 22nd May, exactly three years to the day since the attack occurred, as part of a dedicated programme starting at 10pm. At 10.31pm they will broadcast a special recording of Manchester Cathedral bells tolling 22 times.

Other stations will also be marking 10.31pm, including Manchester’s Hits Radio which will be holding a reflective moment.

Further details about the proposed memorial to the victims of the Arena terror attack have been released.

At the heart of the memorial is a white stone ring ‘halo’ which will bear the names of the 22 who lost their lives set in bronze, with personalised memory capsules – containing memories and mementos to be provided by their loved ones – held within the stone.

The memorial will be located between Manchester Cathedral and Chetham’s School of Music, at the foot of Fennel Street where it meets Victoria Street. A planning application will be submitted next month.

Support continues to be available for anyone who is struggling with the impact of the Arena terror attack. This can be accessed via the Greater Manchester Resilience Hub on 0333 0095071 or by email to [email protected]. The hub is open Tuesday to Friday 10am to 6pm, and until 8pm on Wednesdays.

The Manchester Together Archive, the project to catalogue and digitise all the tributes left in St Ann’s Square in 2017 in the aftermath of the attack, can be visited here.

“Manchester will never forget the terrible events of 22nd May 2017,” Manchester City Council leader Sir Richard Leese said. “Those who were killed, those who lost loved ones and all those whose lives changed forever that night are forever in our thoughts”.