Ariana Grande is doing something most pop stars are terrified of: she’s walking away from the "main character" spotlight of the music industry. Honestly, it's about time we stopped calling her just a singer.
By the time 2025 wrapped up, the transition was basically complete. We saw the release of Wicked: For Good in November 2025, which wasn't just another movie—it was a full-scale cultural shift that earned her a second consecutive round of Oscar and Golden Globe buzz. But now that we’re sitting in January 2026, the conversation has shifted. Everyone is talking about the Eternal Sunshine Tour, which kicks off this June in Oakland.
But there’s a catch. She’s calling it her "last hurrah."
If you've been following her recent interviews, like her vulnerable sit-down on the Good Hang podcast with Amy Poehler, you know she isn’t joking. She flat-out said she doesn’t see herself touring again for a "long, long, long, long time." It’s a bittersweet moment for fans who waited six years for a tour, only to find out it might be the finale of her life as a touring pop artist.
The Eternal Sunshine Tour: What to Expect in 2026
The demand for these tickets was genuinely insane. Over 6 million people queued up for the North American leg alone. To put that in perspective, cities like Austin and NYC saw hundreds of thousands of people trying to squeeze into arenas that hold maybe 20,000.
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She added nine extra dates to help with the crush, but even then, it’s a "mini-sampling" compared to the 100-show marathons she used to do. This tour is lean. It’s intentional. It’s basically a love letter to her 2024 album eternal sunshine and a nod to Positions, which never got its own tour due to the pandemic.
- Kickoff: June 6, 2026, at the Oakland Arena.
- The Format: Multiple nights in major cities like Los Angeles (Crypto.com Arena and Kia Forum) and Brooklyn (Barclays Center).
- The Finale: A five-night residency at London’s O2 Arena in late August.
She’s mentioned that the show won't look like the high-octane, ponytail-swinging spectacles of the Sweetener era. It’s more theatrical. More intimate. It feels like she’s bringing the discipline she learned from playing Glinda back to the concert stage.
Life After Glinda: The Acting Pivot is Real
For a while, people thought Wicked was just a side quest. It wasn't. Playing Glinda the Good Witch "rearranged" her entire relationship with art. She spent months working with acting coaches and even utilized the Stella Adler technique to build her character from the inside out.
Now that the Wicked saga has concluded its theatrical run, she isn’t heading back to the recording studio to churn out another album. She’s staying on set.
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You've probably seen the headlines about her upcoming projects. She’s co-starring with Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro in the comedy Focker-In-Law, which is slated for a November 2026 release. She’s also joined the cast of American Horror Story Season 13. And just a few days ago, on January 14, she and Jonathan Bailey (her Wicked co-star) broke the internet by confirming they’ll be starring in a revival of Sunday in the Park with George at the Barbican Centre in 2027.
She’s chasing the things that "feel right in the moment," and right now, that isn't a Billboard Top 40 hit. It's the stage. It's the craft.
The Business of r.e.m. beauty
While she’s pivoting her creative energy, her business empire is actually expanding. During the 2026 Golden Globes, she debuted a bare-faced video on Instagram showing off her glam routine, which subtly teased a new unreleased r.e.m. beauty palette.
The brand has moved past the initial "celebrity makeup" stigma. By collaborating with Wicked for special collections and leaning into skincare-focused launches like the "Dreamglow" serums, she’s built something that stands on its own. It’s one of the few celebrity brands that feels like a legitimate extension of the founder’s aesthetic rather than a cash grab.
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The Human Side: Grief and Growth
We can’t talk about Ariana Grande in 2026 without acknowledging the emotional weight she’s been carrying. Just this week, she gave a rare, emotional interview where she spoke about the late Mac Miller and the support he gave her early in her career.
It’s these moments of vulnerability that keep her fans—the Arianators—so fiercely loyal. She isn’t trying to be the "perfect" pop star anymore. She’s okay with being complicated. She’s okay with her voice changing. She’s okay with the fact that her relationship to fame has shifted.
What This Means for You
If you’re a fan, the message is clear: get those tour tickets if you can. If you missed the presale, keep an eye on official resale platforms, but be prepared for the prices. This really does feel like a closing chapter for a certain era of her life.
If you’re more interested in her acting, keep your eyes on the 2026 awards season. Wicked: For Good is already available for digital rental and purchase as of late December 2025, and it’s expected to hit Peacock by March 2026.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check the Tour Dates: If you're in the UK, the London residency in August is your final chance to see this specific show.
- Watch the Films: Catch Wicked: For Good on digital platforms now if you missed it in theaters. It’s the performance that changed her career trajectory.
- Monitor r.e.m. beauty: Look out for the launch of that new palette she teased during the Golden Globes; it's likely dropping before the tour starts in June.
Ariana Grande in 2025 and 2026 is a woman who has finally stopped trying to meet everyone else's expectations. She’s found her "balance," even if that balance means stepping away from the very thing that made her a household name.