Ariana Grande is stopping at London’s O2 Arena on her Sweetener World Tour next month, but following the Manchester bombing in 2017, security is already in the planning stages.
During the upcoming concert, fans are only allowed to bring in one clear bag made of “clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC” and can be no longer than 12″ x 6″ x 12″. Backpacks, printed patterned or tinted plastic bags, as well as purses, wristlets, and clutches, are not permitted. In an email to attendees from event organizers, it was noted that clear plastic freezer bags, similar to Ziploc, are acceptable.
Additionally, recording devices and cameras will not be allowed into the arena. While many concerts already have security measures in place – like bag searches and metal detectors – Grande’s concerts include heightened safety measures to protect both the singer and her fans.
In May 2017, while on her Dangerous Woman tour, Grande’s concert was the target of the Manchester Arena attack. As people were leaving the arena after the show, a suicide bomb had gone off in the audience, causing 23 deaths, including the attacker. During the chaos, 139 others were wounded, with more than half of the injured children. The bombing was the deadliest attack in the UK since 2005’s London bombings.
Grande had to cancel her London leg of the tour and has openly talked about the Post-Traumatic Stress she endured from that night.
She will play London’s O2 Arena on August 17, 19, and 20, and will visit the arena again on October 15 and 16 due to high demand. Currently, she is on her Sweetener World Tour, which she recently extended through December 2019.
