Ariana Grande sends Christmas gifts to Manchester children years after arena attack

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.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. According to ITV News, the charity publicly thanked Grande and said it was grateful she had thought of its young patients at Christmas. The gesture was not a one-time act of generosity, but part of a connection that has continued since the tragedy.A bond formed in griefGrande was performing at the Manchester Arena on May 22, 2017, when a suicide bomber attacked the venue as concertgoers were leaving. Twenty-two people were killed and many more were injured, turning a night of music into one of the deadliest attacks in ...