Ariana Grande is returning to the stage for her first tour in seven years. After teasing the tour on social media Wednesday, she posted them in her Instagram story less than 24 hours later. The initial dates include nine major North American cities and a five-night run in London, but more will almost certainly be added. Chicago shows will take place at the United Center on August 3 and 5.
On Aug. 27, Grande took to Instagram to share a teaser clip in the style of her “Brighter Days Ahead” short film and featured an image of her at a microphone. The short film was released earlier this year as part of a deluxe edition of her 2024 album “Eternal Sunshine,” which included a total of six bonus songs and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Grande’s last trek ended in December of 2019 in support of her “Sweetener” and “Thank U, Next” LPs. She has more recently been focused on acting projects and is currently filming “Focker In-Law,” the fourth movie of the “Meet the Parents” franchise. She will also soon be promoting the second part of “Wicked” (“Wicked: For Good”) in which, she stars as Glinda alongside Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba.
Late last year, Grande told Variety on the prospects of a tour: “I feel so grateful to the acting, and I think my fans know that music and being on stage will always be a part of my life, but I don’t see it coming anytime soon. I think the next few years, hopefully we’ll be exploring different forms of art, and I think acting is feeling like home right now… I am appreciative for [my fans’] understanding. I’m so grateful for the ways in which we’ve grown together over this whole journey with ‘Wicked.’ But music will always be a part of my life.”