Manchester remembers the Arena attack with poignant memorials

Tributes are pouring in in memorial of the 22 lives that were so tragically lost 5 years ago.

On 22 May 2017, an Islamist Extremist suicide bomber detonated a shrapnel-laden homemade bomb as people were leaving the Manchester Arena following a concert by American singer Ariana Grande. The blast killed 22 innocent victims and left more than 1,000 injured.

According to The Manchester Evening News the bomber was Salman Ramadan Abedi, a 22-year-old local man of Libyan ancestry. After initial suspicions of a terrorist network, police later said they believed Abedi had largely acted alone but that others had been aware of his plans.

The public has been encouraged to pay their respects to those who lost their lives and to visit the Glade of Light memorial to pay tribute. The Glade of Light, which was officially opened earlier this month by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge was designed to be a living memorial, a tranquil garden space for remembrance and reflection. Its peaceful surroundings are intended as the setting for commemorative events in the city relating to the attack. 

A white marble ‘halo’ ring stands at the heart of the memorial. The names of those who lost their lives are set in bronze upon it. Personalised memory capsules, filled with memories and mementoes of them provided by loved ones, have been embedded within the stone. 

The memorial features a planting scheme designed to reflect the changing seasons while providing colour and maximising light all year round. It uses only plants which grow naturally in the UK countryside. 

For those wanting to visit, the Glade of Light is within Manchester’s Medieval Quarter and was designed to complement its wider regeneration. It is located between Manchester Cathedral and Chetham’s School of Music, at the foot of Fennel Street where it meets Victoria Street.