A High Court judge has approved a compensation settlement totalling almost £20 million for 16 survivors of the devastating Manchester Arena bombing, all of whom were children at the time of the attack.
Details of the Court-Approved Settlement
The ruling was made by Judge Nigel Bird at the Manchester Civil Courts of Justice on Thursday, 18 December 2025. The individual payouts, which were agreed between the claimants' lawyers and the defendants, range from £2,770 to £11.4 million, bringing the total sum to £19,928,150. The claimants, who cannot be named due to a court order, were all under the age of 16 when the suicide bombing occurred.
The atrocity took place on 22 May 2017 at the end of an Ariana Grande concert. Twenty-two people were murdered and hundreds more were injured when 22-year-old Salman Abedi detonated a backpack bomb in the venue's foyer. Many of the young survivors sustained catastrophic, life-changing physical injuries, while others suffered profound psychological damage.
Organisations Held Accountable
The legal claims were made against the organisations responsible for the safety and security of the event. These defendants, who have admitted their failures and apologised, are contributing to the settlement fund. They include:
- SMG Europe Holdings, which managed the arena.
- Showsec International Ltd, responsible for crowd management.
- British Transport Police (BTP) and Greater Manchester Police (GMP), responsible for policing the area.
Judge Bird stated that the cases all shared a "common link," stemming from "a single and unimaginable act of terrorism." He paid tribute to the "courage, dedication and fortitude" of the families, noting their "quiet determination" had driven promises of change to prevent future failures.
Broader Impact and Ongoing Claims
This hearing specifically dealt with claims involving children or individuals without mental capacity. It is understood that following this judgement, claims from a further 352 people will now be settled. This larger group includes adult survivors deemed to have capacity, as well as the families of the 22 people who lost their lives.
These subsequent settlements are being agreed out-of-court, meaning details of any public money paid by BTP and GMP will not be made public. In a joint statement, the claimants' legal teams from Hudgell Solicitors, Slater & Gordon, and Broudie Jackson Canter emphasised this was "not a day of celebration" but an acknowledgement of mistakes and suffering.
The statement added: "We now expect all parties to honour their commitment to do what they can to prevent those same mistakes from happening again." The public inquiry into the bombing, led by Sir John Saunders, had previously found missed opportunities to prevent the attack and cited serious security shortcomings.
In the wake of the tragedy, Martyn's Law (named in memory of 29-year-old victim Martyn Hett) has been implemented, aiming to bolster protective measures at public venues across the UK.
