Perhaps the only thing that trumps Ariana Grande’s raw talent is her bravery. On Monday, February 25, the “Imagine” singer, 26, took to Twitter to reveal that she will be headlining Manchester’s Pride festival in August. “Manchester babes, I’m so thrilled to be headlining Pride. My heart. I can’t wait to see you and I love you so so much,” she wrote.

Ariana’s upcoming performance will mark her second time returning to Manchester since the terrorist attack at her show in May 2017 that left 22 dead and several others injured. The Grammy winner has been incredibly open about suffering from both PTSD and anxiety in the years since the attack. As a part of her YouTube docuseries, Dangerous Woman Diaries, Ari shared a previously unseen letter she wrote to the victims just eight months after the attack detailing what she was feeling.  

“The spirit of the people of Manchester, the families affected by this horrendous tragedy, and my fans around the world have permanently impacted all of us for the rest of our lives,” she wrote. “Their love, strength, and unity showed me, my team, my dancers, band, and entire crew not to be defeated. To continue during the scariest and saddest of times. To not let hate win. But instead, love as loudly as possible, and to appreciate every moment.”

To this day, Ari still hasn’t let hate win and naturally, both the songstress’ fans and organizers of Pride are beyond thankful to have Ariana on board for the two-day concert. “At Manchester Pride Live we’re truly honored to be welcoming Ariana back to the city to help us celebrate LGBT+ life,” Mark Fletcher, CEO of Manchester Pride, expressed in a statement.

“See you on stage! I can’t wait to hold my girlfriend’s hand with pride and sing at the top of my lungs with you. Thank you so much for letting me feel free for being myself,” one user commented. “Can’t wait for you to be back in the city that loves you so much. We can’t wait for you to be here again,” added another.

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