Girls Aloud kicked off their three dates in Manchester on Thursday night (May 23) with a poignant tribute to Sarah Harding. Sarah tragically died at the age of 39 in September 2021 after being diagnosed with terminal breast cancer. Last month she was honoured with a mural in Stockport where she grew up in a bid to raise awareness of cancer in young people.

The remaining band members Kimberley, Cheryl, Nadine and Nicola announced last year that they would be reuniting for The Girls Aloud Show tour which would not only celebrate the band’s 22-year legacy but also serve as a fitting tribute to Sarah. During Thursday night’s show the band took centre stage at the AO Arena where they performed some of their biggest hits – including Sound of the Underground and Love Machine – for the first time since the band last toured in 2013.

The band reiterated their ongoing affection for Sarah, as the singer has been projected on the screen behind the group. In some cases, her vocals are left intact as the girls instruct fans to let Sarah have her moment in the show – a particularly moving moment after the girls informed the crowd that her mum was in the audience.

“Coming to Manchester has always been an absolute pleasure,” Cheryl told the crowd. Lythgoe added, “It’s an incredibly important night for us tonight in so many ways. Of course, we all recall Miss Harding’s hometown being Manchester. She would have been so proud of the reception we’ve had in here tonight, thank you so much Manchester for making it special for her, and for us.

“Sarah’s mam’s in here tonight and I’m sure she’s feeling all the love and energy in the room. We love you, Marie. As I come down on that podium, the energy I was hit with I could have just burst out of crying there and then. So thank you all for making it bearable, and making it a joyous occasion for us all.”

The girls sang The Promise, with Sarah projected larger than life on the screen behind them, as her vocals were played out across the arena. The touching tribute in the midst of BRIT Award-winning track The Promise got huge cheers from the crowd of the sold out show.

Fans who had already seen the show since it began in Dublin last week posted on social media about the moment. One person wrote: “So, so special.” Another posted: “As if The Promise being a nod to their Brits performance wasn’t enough, they went and did the most stunning tribute to Sarah of the evening (one of many). I love you all so much, @GirlsAloud. Thank you for this. #TheGirlsAloudShow.” Videographer and former BBC News reporter Chris Fox, who has worked on remastering music videos for Steps and S Club, said he later had to rescue the 16mm film negatives from The Promise video shoot to make the ‘absolutely stunning tribute’ possible.

A cocktail has also been created this week at Yard & Coop in her memory, with the aim to raise money this week for The Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal – based at The Christie hospital where she was treated. A Girls Aloud-themed brunch has also taken place this week, at new Printworks bar Tank & Paddle, until Saturday night with money also being raised during the event for the charity appeal.