Final settlement concludes civil claims in Manchester Arena attack case

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.

Sir John Saunders 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.”

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.

The legal teams at Hudgell Solicitors, Slater & Gordon and Broudie Jackson Canter are the three lead firms representing the claimants. There will be no further comment from the lawyers beyond the below statement:

“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.

It has been a privilege to work on behalf of our courageous clients. We wish them only peace and strength as they look to the future.”

The lead barristers for the claimants were Simon Kilvington KC, Dominic Adamson KC and Winston Hunter KC.