How Manchester is set to mark 5 years since Arena attack

Various events will be taking place across the city to mark the anniversary

Author: Owen ArandsPublished 22nd May 2022
Last updated 22nd May 2022

Manchester is set to come together once again today to mark five years since the terror attack that took the lives of 22 people.

Events will take place across the city to allow people to remember those who lost their lives.

Cathedral and Remembrance Services

Sunday prayers at the Cathedral will include acts of remembrance for those we lost in the attack

Throughout the day, people will pay their respects at the Glade of Light memorial near Manchester Cathedral.

The memorial was officially opened this month by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in an event attended by many of the families of those who lost their lives.

At Manchester Cathedral, the 8.45am, 10.30am and 5.30pm prayers will include acts of remembrance during which the names of the 22 people killed will be read out.

The cathedral will be open throughout the day to enable people to light candles, or have some quiet reflection.

The Lord Mayor of Manchester will attend the 5.30pm prayers and lay flowers on the Glade of Light afterwards on behalf of the city.

The Glade of Light holds time capsules in a large marble halo for each of the victims

Great Manchester Run

Thousands of people are set to take park in the Great Manchester Run with many raising money for charities set up in the wake of the attack

The anniversary will also be marked at a major event taking place in the city on Sunday 22 May.

It will be remembered at the Great Manchester Run with one minute’s applause at the beginning of each starting ‘wave’ of the 10k and half marathon events to honour the memory of those who lost their lives, acknowledge the courage of everyone affected and recognise the remarkable spirit shown by the city in the aftermath of the attack.

The Great Manchester Run 2017, which saw tens of thousands of runners take to the streets just six days after the attack, was a powerful statement of the city’s resilience.

Victoria Station

People will be able to pay respects at a memorial at Manchester Victoria which was set up after the bombing

There will also be a minute's silence, in memory of the victims, at Victoria Station on Sunday at 12pm.

The Railway Chaplain will offer a short prayer at the memorial for the victims’ families and survivors and flowers will be laid throughout the day.

Before the minute’s silence is observed, the station announcers will read out the names of the 22 victims.

A memory book will also be available at the station for people to write down any thoughts or reflections.

The station will also observe a minute’s silence at 10.31pm, the exact time of the attack, and the station exterior will be illuminated in yellow.

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