This Sunday, took over London’s O2 Arena for the second of a ten night residency for the end of her Eternal Sunshine tour. The London shows feel bittersweet, following an announcement that Grande will be stepping back from public life for an extended break, and only a few weeks after the release of her eighth studio album, ‘petal’.
As an eight minute clock wound down to zero, impatient and excited fans were greeted with the unmistakable silhouette of Ariana Grande surrounded by her dancers, posed perfectly still behind a floor to ceiling screen. As the timer ran out, Grande emerged in a black lace outfit and platform Louboutins, under ambient red lighting and before a gigantic stage of a decrepit house set aflame. As the show progresses the house transforms, and as the flames die down the sun rises, the house becomes overwhelmed by blooming flowers. Between acts and costume changes, screens displayed surreal and ethereal visuals expanding on Grande’s 2025 short film Brighter Days Ahead, each clip seemingly drawing closer to the inevitable conclusion, we can’t be friends (wait for your love) and a spacey finale that sees Grande beamed up into the rafters, referencing the film’s alien abduction scene, depicted on the eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead album cover.
Opening the show with a defiant rendition of her 2024 hit yes, and? felt apt, the song is a shining dance-y response to the tabloid drama swirling around Grande’s personal life. As the singer moved swiftly through positions, dandelion, and a slick, R&B heavy performance of the boy is mine, she reasserts her place as a vocal powerhouse.
Before a barbie pink dollhouse under hot-pink LED lights, Grande embarks on a playful performance of her fan favourite ‘thank u’, next where she ad-libs “wrote some songs about Ricky, we always find our way back” and shyly flashed two fingers for “Only wanna do it once, real bad Gon’ make that shit last” referencing her 2024 divorce from , and an extended rendition of ‘7 rings’. Surrounded by a troupe of loyal dancers who felt like friends, the choreography felt clean and effortless, moving breathlessly across the stage through dynamic vocal runs that remind you why Ariana Grande is a singular artist amongst her peers.
Classics from her repertoire like safety net, one last time and break free invited heavy audience participation as the crowd of 20,000 belted lyrics over the singer, leading into an extended performance of rain on me which saw the entire arena jumping and dancing.
In an all black off the shoulder gown and dragging her mic stand across the stage, Grande lent into the somber, sultry persona behind her R&B infused ‘Dangerous Woman’. Then, perched on a backless stool at the centre of the venue, Grande told an anecdote about her time living in London post divorce and filming Wicked, and a local pub she frequented, leading into a stripped back version of her track ‘Hampstead’.
Returning to the stage in a long white Victorian gown, Grande welcomed her Wicked co-star . An excited crowd exploded the room with deafening applause as the pair waited patiently before embarking on a sparkling medley of For Good and Get Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again. Erivo shared a carousel of the performance on her Instagram with the caption: “Ari, my sweet sister, my favorite person to sing with. Thank you for inviting me to share your stage, singing 2 songs that represent such a massive part of our lives. This is what we do it for, for the love of the work and for all of the fans. I missed this. We missed this. And I wish I had more words, but to put it simply, I will never forget this night. Like a handprint on my heart. All my love, Cynthia 💚” Grande responded in the comments: “it’ll always come back to this… ♡ just as it started. i’m so grateful for this moment & for you… love you always. ♡ ♾️”
After Eviro’s emotional stage exit, Grande transitioned into a smooth performance of ‘petal’, the title track from her new album. For her encore, Grande flew into a passionate rendition of her bittersweet hit we can’t be friends (wait for your love). The whole night feels as though it were building to this moment, the track’s emotionally vulnerable lyrics transcending through swooning vocals and a sparkling, danceable melody that feels like a bittersweet sendoff to the Eternal Sunshine era as Grande embarks on her personal hiatus before Grande drifts away under a beam of light during supernatural.
For a full two hours, Grande’s setlist perfectly weaves together the tale of her journey thus far, interspersing sure fire pop hits and slick R&B moments between essential tracks and deep cuts from ‘Eternal Sunshine’, with an optimistic promise of her return with tracks from her new album ‘Petal’. Grande has always been a standout vocalist, but the vocal evolution from intensive training for her role as in is undeniable, further cementing the pop star as an untouchable, generational vocalist.
