Drone display to remember Manchester Arena bombing victims canceled amid weather warnings

A spectacular drone display to mark seven years since the Manchester Arena bombing and remember the 22 innocent victims killed in the tragedy has been called off due to weather problems.

Wednesday (May 22) will mark the seventh anniversary of the atrocity, with an emotional drone display originally planned over the Glade of Light, a memorial opened by the now Prince and Princess of Wales ahead of the fifth anniversary.

People have been invited to gather at Cathedral Approach from 10pm to watch the performance, which will culminate in the tolling of the bells at Manchester Cathedral.

READ MORE Manchester Victoria station to remain silent on seven-year anniversary of Arena attack

However, it has since been confirmed that the drone’s display was turned off due to weather warnings. Greater Manchester is among the areas affected by a yellow alert from the Met Office for rain on Wednesday and Thursday.

The concept behind the screen was thought up by Andrew Roussos, the father of eight-year-old Saffie-Rose Roussos, the youngest victim of the attack, with support from Andy Burnham. Andrew worked with a specialist company to create the display, which he said will be “absolutely beautiful”.

The mayor said the dazzling display would have been “very personal and emotional”.

Suicide bomber Salman Abedi, 22, detonated a device in a backpack as crowds left an Ariana Grande concert at the venue on May 22, 2017, in Britain’s deadliest terror attack since the 2005 7/7 London bombings.

Greater Manchester Police estimate there were 940 victims of the attack who survived. Of these, 337 people were in the City Room blast area at the time of the explosion and another 92 people were in the immediate vicinity.

Among the victims, 237 people were physically injured. A total of 111 people required hospital care, with 91 classified as seriously or very seriously injured.

Manchester Victoria station will once again fall silent to mark the seventh anniversary of the terror attack. A minute’s silence will be held at the station during a special memorial service at 12:00 noon led by Railway Chaplain Mike Roberts.

A second minute of silence will then take place at 22.31 to mark the moment of the attack. Craig Harrop, regional director for the North in the North West, said: “The Manchester Arena attack has had a lasting impact on staff and customers at Manchester Victoria station.

“As we mark the seventh anniversary of the attack, we remember the 22 victims and all those affected by what happened that night.”