As celebrities continue to share support for the victims of the explosive Manchester Arena attacks after an Ariana Grande concert Wednesday night (May 24), Harry Styles expressed his sadness over the incident right in the middle of his concert.
The “Sign of the Times” crooner stopped mid-show in Mexico City last night (May 23) to address the crowd about the tragic situation in his hometown. “Thank you so much for being here tonight. I know a lot of you have flown a long way. I really appreciate you being here,” Styles began. “When I booked this show, I wanted to celebrate with you guys. I’ve played some of my favorite shows in Mexico, and it felt right to come and celebrate with you, but tonight doesn’t feel like a night to celebrate. Last night, there was a tragedy in my hometown of Manchester, and I have been left with a hole in my heart.”
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Before asking fans to share in a moment of silence for the victims, Styles explained the significance of Manchester Arena to him. “I went to my first show in the arena, and I’ve had some of the best experiences of my life playing in Manchester. We have a choice, every single day that we wake up, of what we can put into the world, and I ask you to please choose love every single day. I promise that we will be back very soon to Mexico with a full show, but tonight, if it’s OK with you, we’re going to play a small acoustic set. I hope you understand, and I hope you’ll join me in a moment of silence for the victims and for the families of the victims in Manchester today. Thank you for understanding. I love you very much.”
The bombing took the lives of 22 concertgoers and injured dozens of others, which police cited as the most horrific incident to ever happen in the city. ISIS claimed responsibility, but so far it has yet to be determined whether the identified bomber — 22-year-old Salman Abedi, who died in the bombing — is connected with the terror group.
Take a look at the fan-captured footage of Styles’ speech below.