Fifth anniversary commemorations

Sunday 22 May 2022 marks the fifth anniversary of the Manchester Arena attack and the city will be commemorating the occasion in a number of ways.

The centrepiece of the commemorations is the Glade of Light memorial, near Manchester Cathedral, which was officially opened by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge last week. People will be able to pay their respects at the memorial throughout the day.

At Manchester Cathedral on Sunday 22 May, 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 if they wish.

At 10.31pm, marking the exact time of the attack, the bells will be tolled.

At Victoria Station, there will be silences held at noon and 10.31pm, and prayers will be read by the railway chaplain. Before the silences, the names of those who lost their lives will be read out by the station announcer. Floral tributes will be laid, and a memory book will be available during the day for people to leave their thoughts and reflections.

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 anniversary will also be marked at the Great Manchester Run, which takes place in the city on Sunday. There will be 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.

We recognise that the anniversary may be upsetting for people. If you are experiencing difficulties please look at our ‘Get Support’ pages which include a lot advice and can point you to further help.