Today marks the seventh anniversary of the tragic events which took place at Manchester Arena on May 22, 2017. Seven years on and many, many years to follow, Manchester will still continue to remember. Residents and the wider community will be coming together with heartfelt vigils and silences to mark the 22 that lost their lives, and these are some of the events taking place across the city in commemoration of the devastating losses from the Manchester Arena attack.
1. Glade of Light memorial
The Glade of Light memorial was officially opened by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2022, and on May 22 flowers will be laid at this site in remembrance. Here, Mancs will be able to pay their respects, in a space that has been specifically dedicated to the 22 that lost their lives. The marble halo bench boasts the names of the victims, and a living garden has been planted, too.
New for this year to mark the anniversary, a drone display was due to take place at Manchester’s Glade of Light memorial between 10.19pm and 10.31pm, however due to a weather warning this has now been cancelled. Andrew Roussos had created a beautiful and moving tribute with more than 100 drones with the help of the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and night time economy adviser Sacha Lord.
2. Candlelight vigils at Manchester Cathedral
Manchester Cathedral will host a number of sessions on the day, where visitors will be able to pay their respects through prayer and a moment of silence. Visitors will also be able to light candles in remembrance. There will be three services, morning prayer at 9am, holy communion at 1.10pm and choral evensong at 5.30pm. A single tenor bell will toll 22 times at 10.31pm.
3. Tributes at Manchester Victoria Station
Also part of the commemoration events for the Manchester Arena attack, tributes will take place at Manchester Victoria Station on May 22, below the foyer where the attack took place seven years ago. A moment of silence will take place at 12pm and at 10.31pm (the precise moment the bomb went off). The Railway Chaplain will offer a short prayer at the memorial for the victims’ families and survivors. Flowers will also be laid throughout the day.
The area near to Soldiers’ Gate inside Manchester Victoria Station, which is managed by Northern, is a permanent memorial to those who lost their lives at the arena. Visitors to the station will also have a place to reflect at a bench and blossom tree which was installed at Soldier’s Gate in 2021.