She is stepping out of the limelight after a rollercoaster decade of box office highs – and horrifying, traumatic lows.
But Ariana Grande proved she was determined to go out on her own terms on Saturday night by delivering an unforgettable performance at London’s O2 Arena ahead of a year-long hiatus.
Two weeks ago, the 33-year-old singer stunned fans by announcing at a Chicago date on her Eternal Sunshine Tour that she was stepping back from public life to ‘set boundaries’, telling the crowd: ‘Human beings need a break sometimes.’
So drastic is Ms Grande’s retreat that she has pulled out of a production of Sondheim’s Sunday In The Park With George, which was due to be staged at London’s Barbican Theatre next year.
For the past five years Grande has barely had a moment to herself, juggling two Wicked films in which she plays Glinda the Good – and the accompanying worldwide promotional duties – as well as comedy Focker-in-Law and two albums – before her latest tour.
Along the way, she has weathered some of the darkest moments of her life, from the horror of the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing to a string of painful breakups, the most recent coming only months ago.
But there was no faltering on stage last night, as Ms Grande delivered hits from Dangerous Woman to Thank U, Next – with her voice as powerful as ever.
The staging was built around a flooded, burned-out house, that was gradually overgrown with flowers as the night progressed.
Ariana Grande performing in London on Saturday as part of the final leg of her tour, after which she plans to step out of the limelight following a rollercoaster decade
Fans wearing bunny ears flocked towards London’s O2 arena as the singer opened the latest leg of her Eternal Sunshine tour
The American singer pictured on stage on Saturday night. She has pulled out of a planned theatrical production at the Barbican Theatre next year
Meanwhile, many fans arrived in black bunny ears and dresses, a nod to the singer’s edgy look in artwork for her 2016 album Dangerous Woman.
Security was exceptionally tight, with fans allowed to carry only transparent bags – and urged to bring only essentials.
It is a strict level of caution that has been standard at Ms Grande’s shows ever since Islamist suicide bomber Salman Abedi killed 22 people and injured more than 1,000 others at the end of her Manchester Arena concert in May 2017.
The singer, then just 23, described herself as ‘broken’ in the wake of the attack, and has since spoken of living with post-traumatic stress disorder.
But rather than step away, she organised the benefit concert One Love Manchester just two weeks later, drawing stars including Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and Liam Gallagher to Old Trafford Cricket Ground to raise money for victims.
Her personal life has proved equally turbulent in the years since, from the death of ex-boyfriend Mac Miller in 2018 from an accidental drug overdose to a string of high-profile relationships – including her engagement to comedian Pete Davidson, her near three-year marriage to estate agent Dalton Gomez, and then another recent split from Wicked co-star Ethan Slater.
But despite all the setbacks, her career has soared in recent years – with highlights including the huge box office success of 2024’s Wicked and last year’s Wicked: For Good – which earned a worldwide total of around £1billion.
And last night’s sold-out show was proof that, whatever lies ahead, Ariana Grande remains one of the biggest stars in the world.
