Ariana Grande‘s tour doesn’t start until June of 2026, but she already knows exactly what she’ll be singing when she hits the road for the first time since 2019.
Appearing on Evan Ross Katz‘s podcast Shut Up Evan, Ari explained that she felt like she “had” to do a tour after she put out the deluxe version of her album Eternal Sunshine. “I really felt like I’m going to be really sad if I don’t sing this album live. I love this album, and I need to sing it,” she shared.
“And I think that would be a really special experience for me and my fans and also, how beautiful to re-imagine my relationship to touring in this baby step way … I think it’ll be so fun to see the fans,” she added.
Unfortunately, she warned, “This probably won’t happen for a long time again after this one.”
But fans should be glad they’re even getting this tour, as Ari also told Katz that before making Wicked, she was considering quitting music entirely — but making the movie inspired her not to.
“I didn’t think I was going to make an album ever again when I left for London [to make the movie],” she said. “That was kind of my secret, but I didn’t think I was going to, you know?” But while playing Glinda, she explained, “I felt like just a genuine spark, like a reconnection and inspiration and something, I mean, maybe I missed it. Maybe it’s as simple as I missed it.”
“I think I learned so much, and then also I genuinely wanted to do it. I just felt like I couldn’t not,” she noted. “It was an inspired moment and I had to write an album and I had to do it.”
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