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A woman looks at flowers in Albert Square in Manchester, northwest England on May 24, 2017, placed in tribute to the victims of the May 22 terror attack at the Manchester Arena.
BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty ImagesLONDON — Security teams missed multiple chances to prevent a suicide bomb attack outside an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena in 2017, a public inquiry has found.
The terror attack on May 22, 2017, caused 22 people to die and more than 800 to be injured, many of them children. It happened at the end of a sold-out Ariana Grande show at Manchester Arena (also now known as AO Arena) when bomber Salman Abedi detonated a home-made explosive device in the venue foyer as fans were exiting the building.
A 200-page report into the attack, published on Thursday (June 17), found that “there were a number of missed opportunities to alter the course of what happened that night” and "more should have been done" by police and security to prevent the bombing.
In particular, the report notes that police should have identified Manchester-born Abedi, who was of Libyan descent, as a potential threat on the night of the attack. Had that occurred, it is likely that Abdedi would still have detonated his device, “but the loss of life and injury is highly likely to have been less,” says John Saunders, who chaired the inquiry.
The report is the first of three that will be produced by the public inquiry, which began last September. It found that arena operators SMG, security company Showsec and the British Transport Police, who were responsible for policing the area where the bomb went off, were "principally responsible” for missed opportunities to prevent or minimize the “devastating impact of the attack.”
They included failing to detect “hostile reconnaissance” carried out by Abdedi on at least three separate occasions prior to May 22, as well as being more alert to the risk of a terrorist attack on the night of the concert.
Saunders says the most striking missed opportunity was the failure of a teenage security guard to take effective steps after a member of the public raised concerns to him about Abedi.
The inquiry found that another security guard, also a teenager, tried to use his radio to alert the security control room after concerns were raised about Abedi, but could not get through.
The report criticizes SMG’s “inadequate” CCTV system, which enabled to Abedi to hide for an hour in a blind spot, and the failure of Showsec staff to conduct an “adequate security patrol” in the 30 minutes leading to the attack.
“It is implicit in the findings that I have made that both SMG and Showsec failed to take steps to improve security at the Arena that they should have taken,” says Saunders.
Of the four British Transport Police officers on duty at the arena on May 22, none were in the foyer at the time of the attack. Two took a two-hour meal break, driving five miles away from the arena to pick up a kebab.
On the night of the bombing, the national terror threat level in the U.K. was severe, meaning an attack was highly likely.
The report makes a number of recommendations to improve security at concert venues, including the introduction of new "protect duty" law, which would place a legal obligation on venue operators to make sure they are prepared for the risk of terror attacks. The British government has initiated a consultation on the proposals.
SMG says since the attack it has improved security procedures at the Manchester Arena by extending the security perimeter around the venue and installing walk-through metal detectors and a new CCTV and access control system.
“However, out of respect for those who tragically lost their lives on the 22nd May 2017, and those whose lives changed forever," SMG says in a statement, "we can never be satisfied that we have done enough.”
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Japanese singer-songwriter Fujii Kaze released a concert Blu-ray & CD called Fujii Kaze Stadium Live “Feelin’ Good” featuring his biggest solo headlining shows so far by the same name that took place at Nissan Stadium in Kanagawa, Japan on Aug. 24 and 25.
About 140,000 fans flocked to see the shows over the two days that vividly conveyed Fujii’s magnetism as an artist — exceptional musicianship, outstanding entertainer’s spirit, a laid-back, natural presence that makes you forget you’re seeing him in a stadium setting, and a loving mind that looks out for each person in the audience. This writer also attended one of the shows and the two-hour set was an experience that left a lingering sense of euphoria.
The package delves deeply into the concert experience from various angles. Those who went to the shows will be able to relive the excitement, and for those not familiar with Fujii Kaze will be able to understand why he is loved by so many.
The Blu-ray is a two-disc set, with Disc 1 containing live footage compiled mainly from the show on Aug. 25. Kento Yamada, a filmmaker who also directed the show itself, helmed the visuals for the concert film as well. Disc 2 contains the approx. 70-minute Feelin’ Good (Documentary) film, which shows fans the behind-the-scenes of the shows. This doc directed by filmmaker Elizabeth Miyaji contains a new interview of the 27-year-old musician, who speaks candidly about the concept of the shows and his thoughts on the project. The CD contains 16 tracks personally selected by the singer himself. The following are some highlights from the visual and audio discs.
The concerts were full of various gimmicks and stage effects, and by capturing them on video, they become easier to understand and enjoy. The show kicks off with Fujii suddenly appearing in the stands. As cheers break out, he slowly walks down the stairs near the audience and heads for the grand piano placed on the grass in the center of the arena. The camera also highlights the genuine expressions of surprise and joy on the audience members’ faces.
The impressive stage set was like a theme park with a stairway, bridge, and garage covered with vegetation. Based on Fujii’s desire to create something that evokes a sense of nature, Yamada meticulously crafted the set down to the smallest details, including the texture of the soil and the small objects inside the garage. The huge LED screen behind the stage displayed images like city and sky, designed to help create the impression of a single world when fused with the layout onstage.
The dancers’ performances were also notable. In particular, the multi-talented artist and his dancers performed choreography that was perfectly in sync for “Kirari” and “Kiri Ga Naikara” in the middle of the show. While Fujii is well-known for singing along to his own virtuoso accompaniment on the piano, his dance performances also showcase his star power.
The “Nan-Nan” hitmaker says in the documentary that the keyword for this show is “youth” (seishun). Sharing the fresh energy of youth with the 70,000 people in the stadium, with live renditions of “Seishun Sick,” sung while swaying with his dancers arm-around-shoulder, and an 8-beat punk rock version of “Tabiji,” was also one of the highlights of the concert.
While the respective visual projects on the Blu-ray discs are quite close to perfection, the recording on the CD allows fans to enjoy the you-are-there vibe of the show. The band members consist of Yaffle on keyboards, who also serves as band master, TAIKING from Suchmos on guitar, Naoki Kobayashi on bass, Norihide Saji on drums, Takashi Fukuoka on percussion, and ARIWA from ASOUND and Emoh Les on backing vocals. The funky, danceable beat of “MO-EH-YO (Ignite)” and the rich harmonies of “Shinunoga E-Wa” are just some of the highlights of the live arrangements.
Looking back over this past year, Fujii took on many challenges and overcame them all. From May to June, he traveled to North America for his first solo headlining trek in the region called Fujii Kaze and the Piano U.S. Tour, selling out both shows in Los Angeles and New York. From October to December, he visited 10 cities in Asia and performed in arenas for his Best of Fujii Kaze 2020-2024 ASIA TOUR, which also ended on a high note.
Fujii released only two new songs in 2024 — “Michi Teyu Ku (Overflowing),” the theme song for Tomokazu Yamada’s first feature film April Come She Will that became his fifth track to rack up 100 million streams in Japan, and the A. G. Cook-produced “Feelin’ Go(o)d,” released in July — but appears to be actively working on other tracks. The stadium concerts and arena tour were like a culmination of Fujii’s career to date, and fans are looking forward to experiencing his new mode of expression in the coming year.
This article by Tomonori Shiba first appeared on Billboard Japan. Fujii Kaze is stylized in Japanese order, surname first.
