This Thursday (22 May 2025) Manchester will be marking the eighth anniversary of the Arena terror attack in 2017, which claimed 22 lives and left many others seriously injured.
The permanent Glade of Light Memorial, near Manchester Cathedral, will be the focal point for personal remembrance and reflection throughout the day. The Lord Mayor of Manchester Cllr Carmine Grimshaw, Council Leader Cllr Bev Craig and Council Chief Executive Tom Stannard will lay floral tributes on behalf of the city to those who lost their lives.
The names of those who lost their lives will also be read out on 22 May during services at 9am (Morning Prayers), 1.10pm (Holy Communion) and 5.30pm (Choral Evensong.) The cathedral will be open throughout the day for those who wish to light a candle or pray.
Two one-minute silences will take place at Manchester Victoria Station during the day – at 12 noon and 22.31pm, the exact anniversary of the attack.
Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said:
“The 22 May 2017 attack was one of the darkest days in Manchester’s history but its aftermath also showed the city’s remarkable solidarity and Mancunians’ refusal to give in to those who would seek to divide us.
“We will never forget those who were lost that day, their loved ones, those who were injured and everyone who was affected. We remember them throughout the year but each anniversary is especially poignant.”
