Manchester Arena is to remain closed until early September as it continues to undergo extensive repairs following last month's terrorist bomb attack outside an Ariana Grande concert.
Twenty-two people, many of them children, died and over 100 were injured in the May 22 blast, which took place in the venue's main public foyer at 10:30 local time just after Ariana Grande finished her set and left the stage.
Since then, the 21,000-capacity venue has been indefinitely closed, leading to the cancellation of scheduled shows by Kings Leon, WWE and Kiss, among others. Others, such as the Nashville concert tour and a hometown show by Take That, were switched to other venues in the city.
"Whilst it was always our intention to honor our existing summer events, the damage caused to the main public area outside of the arena has left us with no other option than to remain closed until September," said a statement from venue operator SMG.
Shows affected include two dates by Celine Dion, scheduled for 25 June and August 1, which promoters said they were "working hard" to reschedule.
Radiohead's forthcoming two-night residency at the Arena has been rescheduled to take place July 4 at the 50,000-capacity Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground stadium – the same venue that hosted Ariana Grande's One Love Manchester benefit concert, where the singer was joined by Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Coldplay, Black Eyed Peas, Niall Horan and Liam Gallagher, and raised over $3 million for victims' families.
Blink 182's July 14 show has been cancelled, although promoters are urging fans to keep hold of their tickets while they discuss suitable alternatives with the band. Shows by Linkin Park, Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow and Bros are also among those that have been pulled.
"We would like to offer our heartfelt gratitude to all our customers and friends for their continued support and patience during this time and our ongoing thoughts and prayers remain with all those affected by the 22 May atrocity," said a spokesperson for the arena.
Meanwhile, it's been announced that Ariana Grande is set to become an honorary citizen of Manchester in recognition of her fundraising efforts.
Under proposals from Manchester City Council, the singer would be the first recipient of the title, which will be awarded to people who have made an outstanding contribution to Manchester. "This seems a fitting moment to update the way we recognize those who make noteworthy contributions to the life and success of our city," said Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council in a statement.
"We've all had cause to be incredibly proud of Manchester and the resilient and compassionate way in which the city, and all those associated with it, have responded to the terrible events of 22 May – with love and courage rather than hatred and fear. Ariana Grande exemplified this response," he continued, adding, "I think many people would already consider her an honorary Mancunian and we would be delighted, if the Council approves the proposal, to make it official."
