One Love Manchester Sunday benefit concert generated $2.6 million in donations over three-hours for a special fund to help victims of the terrorist attack on Ariana Grande’s May 22 show, contributing to the $12.9 million raised so far.
Viewers watching live broadcasts and streams of the star-studded event were encouraged to give to the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund, which was set up by the city council and the British Red Cross. Donors were able to contribute by text or online, and collectively coughed up £2 million ($2.6 million) between the concert’s start at 7 p.m. and its close at 10 p.m.
All net ticket proceeds from the benefit show will also go to the fund, which is dedicated to aiding families and victims of last month’s attack on the Manchester Arena. A lone suicide bomber who struck at the end of Grande’s concert killed 22 people and injured scores of others.
Ticketmaster set aside 14,000 free places at “One Love Manchester” for those who attended the earlier concert. The rest of the tickets to the show at the Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground, which has a capacity of about 50,000, sold out within minutes.
The lineup included such big-name artists as Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Coldplay, and Black-Eyed Peas, as well as a surprise appearance by Manchester native son Liam Gallagher.
“Tonight’s performances were nothing short of a blazing show of solidarity in the face of recent attacks dominating the news,” concert publicist Outside Organization said, alluding to the Manchester bombing and Saturday night’s terror attack on London Bridge.
Grande performed “One Last Time” toward the end of the concert and will be re-releasing the song as a charity single, with worldwide proceeds going toward the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund.