Victims of the Manchester Arena bombing are set to be paid millions of pounds after claims for damages were settled.
A senior judge has approved damages of just under £20m in relation to 16 claims made by children and claimants who lacked mental capacity to conduct legal proceedings themselves.
The highest award in a single claim was of almost £11.4m to a teenager who had suffered “catastrophic injuries” on May 22, 2017, when Salman Abedi detonated a bomb at the Manchester Arena as music fans left an Ariana Grande concert.
Following the completion of these 16 cases, which had to be decided by a judge, a further 352 claims for damages are now set to be finalised, the Manchester Evening News reports.
he details surrounding these claims will remain confidential as the identities of those in the 16 claims were granted anonymity by a judge.
The defendants set to pay out the sums include Greater Manchester Police, British Transport Police, Arena operators SMG, now known as Legends Global Services Limited, and security provider Showsec.
How much each defendant pays out is also set to remain confidential. The civil hearing followed a long running public inquiry, led by Sir John Saunders.
In his report, Sir John said: “I have concluded that there were serious shortcomings in the security provided by those organisations which had responsibility for it and also failings and mistakes by some individuals.” Following a hearing at Manchester’s Civil Justice Centre today (December 18), a joint statement was released by solicitors acting on behalf of the claimants, and the defendants in the case.
It said that each of the organisations had ‘apologised to the bereaved families and to the survivors’, and have ‘acknowledged the failures of that night’. In court, Simon Kilvington KC, a barrister who represented the majority of the claimants, said: “This is not a day of celebration. It is a moment to acknowledge the mistakes that were made and the unimaginable suffering our clients have endured over the past eight and a half years.
“Their strength and resilience have been extraordinary, and without that, we would not have reached this settlement. We now expect all parties to honour their commitment to do what they can to prevent those same mistakes from happening again.”
Introducing the case in court, Judge Nigel Bird said: “Each of the cases has a common link, that is that the injuries and losses suffered arose out of a single and unthinkable act of terrorism on May 22, 2017, at the end of a concert attended by very many young children and their families. 22 innocent lives were lost, and lives of countless others impacted by the events of that evening.
“In each of the cases before me there are five defendants. They were, to varying degrees, responsible for the safe and secure running of the venue on the evening in question.”
Before confirming the individual awards of damages to the 16 claimants, Judge Bird said: “The love and care a parent gives to an injured child is plainly beyond monetary value.” He said that the sums ‘should be regarded as the best the law can do in a difficult situation.”
The judge confirmed the award of more than £5.2m in damages to a teenager who suffered injuries described as ‘severe and life changing’. Other claimants included the relatives of two of the innocent people who died that night.
Concluding the hearing, Judge Bird paid tribute to the claimants. He said: “Each has acted with dignity in the face of terrible adversity. Each through their quiet determination has brought about promises of change with the hope that in the future other families will not need to go through what they have been through.
“This hearing has not been entirely about what happened on that night. It has been also about the future and how the families may go forward to put these events behind them, armed with the courage they have shown to move forward, without, one hopes, the memory of what happened bearing down on them, as it has.”
The joint statement released by parties following the conclusion of the case read: “On 22 May 2017, a devastating act of terrorism took place at Manchester Arena. Salman Abedi detonated a suicide bomb, killing 22 innocent people and leaving hundreds more with life-changing injuries.
“Many continue to live with the physical and emotional impact of that night. Venue management of the Arena was overseen by SMG Europe Holdings and crowd management for the Arena was provided by Showsec International. Policing of the Arena was overseen by British Transport Police.
“Greater Manchester Police had provided a counter terrorism security advisor to advise SMG in the years leading up to the attack. Between 2020 and 2023, a public inquiry, led by Sir John Saunders, found that chances to stop the attack had been missed.
“On 16 December 2025, a global settlement was reached for the civil claims brought by the families of those who lost their lives and hundreds of those injured on 22 May 2017.
“Those contributing to the settlement included SMG Europe Holdings, Showsec International Ltd, British Transport Police and Greater Manchester Police. As part of this settlement, each of these organisations has apologised to the bereaved families and to the survivors.
“They have acknowledged the failures of that night. They have already made changes and pledged to do what they can to prevent those mistakes from happening again. This settlement is about recognition, accountability, and a shared commitment to doing better.
“The courage and dignity shown by the families and survivors throughout this process has been extraordinary. You have been heard, and your voices have shaped the path forward.”
