Taking place exactly six months after 22 people were killed in a terrorist attack at the venue, Little Mix’s two Manchester Arena performances held great significance for many of the fans in attendance.
The events of 22 May unfolded shortly after an Ariana Grande concert had ended and some of the fans watching the group were returning to the venue for the first time since that night:
So today I faced my fears and went back to Manchester Arena where I experienced a horrible experience& I went back there determined to make better memories and I absolutely loved @LittleMix ,thank you so much❤️??
November 23, 2017
Tonight I brought my sister back to Manchester Arena for the first time since the Ariana Grande concert, and thanks to Little Mix bad memories were replaced with great ones ? pic.twitter.com/m9RbYak7ku
November 21, 2017
Well aware of the importance of the evening, a group of fans used social media to organise a tribute to the 22 victims, circulating posters online and asking ticket holders to “print as many as you can” and bring them along.
Little Mix will be performing to a sold out show in Manchester Arena tonight.. to the Mixers going, please do this fan project in honour of the 22 Arianators that were sadly lost 6 months ago today. ?❤️ #GloryDaysTourManchester pic.twitter.com/gFAcT4xfLW
November 22, 2017
To mark 6 months since the Manchester Arena attack, Mixers have made signs for Little Mix’s show tonight and handed them out around the arena remembering the 22 beautiful angels we lost that night, this is so beautiful? #GloryDaysTourManchester pic.twitter.com/3AjWeRiA0d
November 22, 2017
The plan worked and on both nights, A4 sheets bearing the message “For our 22 angels, we miss you, we stand together” were seen around the arena.
On Wednesday, the posters were projected onto the screens as the four piece performed:
Tonight was incredibly special. Thank you to the incredible audience for organising this and showing nothing but love in the arena tonight ♥️? #GloryDaysTourManchester the girls xx pic.twitter.com/vxiKuuX0Dx
November 23, 2017
Anthony Gee, 28, was in the front row and told HuffPost UK that “there were quite a lot” of signs.
“Many brought their own copy as it was available to print out a few weeks before the show,” he explained. “You could see them around the arena and they were held up during ‘Nothing Else Matters’.
“There was a big cheer when the sign came up on the screen.”
And as was the case on the night of Ariana’s concert, the crowd included a number of young fans and their families, undeterred by what took place six months ago.
Lucy Powell, MP for Manchester Central, and her daughter were among them.
“Little Mix rocked the Manchester Arena last night and it was great to see so many families and children enjoying the concert, particularly given the terrible events six months ago,” she told HuffPost UK. “There was a great atmosphere and also some moving tributes to ‘our 22 angels’.
“I understand there have been record sales and visits to the Arena in the last six months which is a testament to the determination and spirit of our city.”
The touching event serve as a reminder that back in May, Ariana’s fans – many of them teenagers – also used social media to support each other and those directly affected by the attack.
The morning after the bombing, one designed an awareness ribbon with a pair of bunny ears, which are closely associated with Ariana, having featured on the cover of her 2016 album ‘Dangerous Woman’.
The image went viral and was later adapted to form part of the logo for the One Love Manchester concert, when Ariana returned to the city to headline the fundraising event.