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Manchester Arena bombing victims remembered 2 years later

People lay flowers in St. Ann's Square in Manchester, England, Wednesday, May 22, 2019 to remember the second anniversary of the Manchester Arena terror attack where 22 people were murdered by suicide bomber Salman Abedi. Photo: Kim Pilling/AP

From a vigil in a Manchester city square to a social media tribute from Ariana Grande, the 22 victims of the Manchester Arena bombing are being remembered and honored two years after the tragedy.

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The victims lost their lives May 22, 2017, when a suicide bomber detonated a device in the foyer of Manchester Arena after Grande performed.

Wednesday, hundreds of mourners gathered at St. Ann's Square in Manchester to observe a moment of silence, The Guardian reported. Thousands of floral tributes were placed at the site, and people wrote messages in chalk on the ground.

Family of the victims attended at invite-only memorial service at St. Ann's Church, the BBC reported.

To mark the anniversary, Ariana Grande posted a bee emoji against a black background to her Snapchat story. The worker bee is a symbol of Manchester, according to The Guardian. The pop star didn’t offer any words, but her mother, Joan Grande, tweeted that Manchester is “with me always, in my heart and in my mind".

While performing at Manchester Arena on Tuesday, K-Pop group Blackpink dedicated their song “Stay” to the victims.

A statement was projected behind the group that read, "'It's a privilege to be performing here in Manchester, especially at this time. 'We send our love and prayers to the friends and families who fought through the hard times. We are here for you. #OneLoveManchester,'" Metro reported.

At 10:31 p.m. -- the exact time of the attack -- bells will ring out from several buildings around the city.