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Sunday night’s One Love Manchester concert was the most-watched program this year on British television as millions of U.K. viewers tuned in. The benefit show was held to raise money for the victims of the Manchester bombing at Ariana Grande’s concert on May 22 that left 22 dead.
BBC One aired the concert live and it drew nearly half the U.K. viewing audience, with 14.5 million viewers and a 49.3 per cent share, according to Variety. It averaged 10.9 million for the entire show, which aired for more than three hours on June 4.
"I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for being here today," the singer said between songs. "I want to thank you so much for coming together and being so loving and strong and unified. I love you guys so much and I think that the kind of love and unity you're displaying is the kind of medicine that the world really needs right now."
Manchester authorities warned that everyone going to the concert would be searched, and the presence of armed police would be visible inside and outside the venue. The Greater Manchester Police said more than 130,000 people were expected in the area for the benefit concert as well as a soccer match.
"There are two large-scale events taking place in Greater Manchester today and we would like to assure people that these will still take place, but with additional security in place to ensure the safety of everyone," Greater Manchester Police Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan said in a statement on Sunday.
Grande's concert was held at Emirates Old Trafford, an outdoor stadium about 3.5 miles from Manchester Arena, where the May 22 concert took place.
Ariana visited many of the wounded from the bombing at her previous concert. "Ariana brought everyone a sunflower and a teddy bear," Lauren Thorpe told CNN. "It was unbelievable."
Thorpe's eight-year-old daughter, Lily, suffered a shrapnel wound in her back and is recovering from surgery. Also on Friday, Grande met privately with some of those who lost loved ones in the May 22 attack, including parents of Martyn Hett, 29, and Courtney Boyle, 19.
Grande canceled upcoming shows in London and Switzerland to prepare for Sunday's "One Love Manchester" concert.
She had just left the stage May 22 when a suicide bomber detonated a nail bomb outside the arena as people were streaming out of the venue. Within days, the singer posted a message of defiance and announced plans to return to Manchester for the benefit show.
