Ariana Grande remembers Manchester bombing ahead of 3rd anniversary

It's been three years since the bombing at Ariana Grande's concert in Manchester which claimed the lives of 22 people, and the pop-star has said that the memory of the tragic day still affects her.

Ahead of the third anniversary of the bombing on May 22, Ariana Grande took to Instagram to pen a heartfelt message of solidarity for her fans. Revealing that she still feels the impact of the tragic day when a suicide bomber killed 22 people at her concert and injured several hundred with a homemade explosive device, Grande wrote: "I want to take a moment to acknowledge and send my love to everyone that is feeling the sadness and tremendous heaviness of the anniversary coming up this week."

In the message shared on her Instagram stories, the 26-year-old added: "Not a day goes by that this doesn't affect you and all of us still. I will be thinking of you all week and weekend. My heart, thoughts, prayers are with you always."

She signed off her message with a black heart emoji and a bee emoji, the latter being a familiar emblem of Manchester which was adopted by locals as a symbol of resilience and hope.

The attack at her concert in 2017 had left the singer with anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, as she revealed later. Though the "Ring" hitmaker suspended her tour in the wake of the attack, she returned to the Manchester stage less than two weeks after the incident for a benefit concert for those affected.

She was joined by several other A-list musicians including Pharrell Williams, Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, Niall Horan, Robbie Williams, the Black Eyed Peas, Katy Perry, among others. The concert raised $13 million for the cause.

Grande returned to Manchester last year for the first time since 2017, to headline the Manchester Pride Festival. Ahead of the performance, she wrote on social media for her Manchester fans: "Love you so much. "Can't wait to give you all our love. You're my heart in every way. See you soon."

According to BBC, the suicide bombing was carried out by Manchester-born terrorist Salman Abedi, whose brother Hashem Abedi was convicted of murder earlier this year for his role in planning the attacks. Almost 1,000 people were injured in the incident, and the youngest of those who died was eight-years-old.

This annual memorial for the victims will be held virtually this year in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.