Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande’s relationship with Manchester did not end when the lights went down at the Manchester Arena in May 2017. Seven years after the attack that killed 22 people following her concert, the singer continued a quiet tradition of sending Christmas gifts to children spending the holiday season in hospitals across Greater Manchester. In December 2024, the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust charity confirmed that her donations had reached young patients at four hospitals. Grande was performing at the Manchester Arena on May 22, 2017, when a suicide bomber attacked the venue as concertgoers were leaving. The 2024 donation was confirmed by the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust charity shortly before Christmas.
BBC News reported that Grande experienced post-traumatic stress disorder after the bombing, a reality that makes her continued support for Manchester’s hospitals especially meaningful.
The charity publicly thanked Grande and said it was grateful she had thought of its young patients at Christmas, according to ITV News. It said the presents were being shared among babies, children and teenagers across the four hospitals, bringing a moment of comfort to families spending the festive period away from home. The gifts were distributed to babies, children and teenagers at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, Trafford General Hospital, Wythenshawe Hospital and North Manchester General Hospital. The gesture was not a one-time act of generosity, but part of a connection that has continued since the tragedy. Twenty-two people were killed and many more were injured, turning a night of music into one of the deadliest attacks in recent British history. In the days that followed, Grande returned to Manchester to organise the One Love Manchester benefit concert. The singer later spoke openly about the emotional toll of the attack. Seven years after the Manchester Arena attack, Ariana Grande’s Christmas gifts are a small but potent reminder of the bond between singer and city. The donations reached children in hospitals across Greater Manchester, offering comfort during a season that can be especially hard for families dealing with illness and hospital stays.
