'My heart is with you today and always': pop star Ariana Grande pays tribute to Manchester Arena victims on fourth anniversary

The city council has a memorial park planned to honour those who lost their lives in the 2017 terrorist attack

Ariana Grande has shared photos from her wedding to Dalton Gomez. For the ceremony the singer wore a classic Vera Wang wedding dress with a bow-accented veil. Reuters

Ariana Grande marked the fourth anniversary of the Manchester Arena terrorist attack.

In an Instagram story post, she paid tribute to the 22 people killed in the tragedy by sharing an illustration of a heart made up of 22 bees.

"Although grief is ever-present and our relationship to it is constantly evolving and expressing itself in different ways every day, year round…..I know that this anniversary will never be an easy one," Grande said.

“Please know that I am thinking of you today. Manchester, my heart is with you today and always.”

A permanent memorial in the works

On May 22, 2017, Salman Abedi detonated a bomb at the foyer of the arena as crowds were leaving Grande’s concert.

The event is now set to be remembered with a permanent memorial planned for the city by December.

With construction beginning in March, The Glade of Light will be a garden located beside the Manchester Cathedral, featuring a stone centrepiece engraved with the names of the victims.

Last year’s ceremony was held online due to the pandemic and featured Manchester Cathedral’s bells chiming 22 times in honour of the victims.

Grande also took to social media on the 2020 anniversary.

"Not a day goes by that this doesn't affect you and all of us and still. I will be thinking of you all week and weekend,” the singer said. “My heart, thoughts, prayers are with you always."

Two weeks after the attack, Grande returned to Manchester to headline the One Love Manchester Concert.

More than 55,000 came to the Old Trafford Cricket Ground for a televised concert featuring Coldplay, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Robbie Williams and Liam Gallagher.

All proceeds from the event went to the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund, established by Manchester City Council and the British Red Cross.

Grande also donated to the fund all proceeds of re-released single One Last Time in June 2017.