Ariana Grande Says Her 2026 Tour Will Be ‘Half’ the Size of Her Past Runs
Ariana Grande is embarking on a transformative journey as she prepares for her upcoming *Eternal Sunshine* world tour, set to kick off in June 2026. In a candid conversation with Nicole Kidman for *Interview* magazine, Grande shared her decision to scale back the size of her tour, which will feature approximately 45 shows—about half of what she has done in the past. This shift reflects not only her evolving relationship with music but also her desire to prioritize her mental well-being and creativity. After a brief hiatus from music to star in the two-part *Wicked* film adaptation, Grande has returned to the stage with a renewed sense of purpose and joy.
The release of her Billboard No. 1 album, *Eternal Sunshine*, earlier this year marks a significant milestone in Grande’s career. During her conversation, she expressed how acting in *Wicked* helped her reconnect with the creative process in a less pressured environment. Grande described the album as a way to reclaim her artistry and navigate the complexities of fame. “I’ve just been healing my relationship to music and touring over the past couple of years,” she explained, emphasizing how stepping away from the spotlight allowed her to address past traumas associated with her rapid rise to fame. Grande’s experiences have led her to adopt healthier coping mechanisms, including meditation, to manage public scrutiny and criticism.
The *Eternal Sunshine* tour will begin in Oakland, California, and will traverse North America and Europe, concluding in London by late August. This smaller, more intimate tour is a reflection of Grande’s commitment to creating a more fulfilling artistic experience for both herself and her fans. As she prepares to step back into the limelight, Grande’s journey illustrates a broader narrative of self-discovery and resilience in the face of the pressures of fame, setting the stage for a new chapter in her illustrious career.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYKnn6DEnXc
Ariana Grande
is rethinking what touring looks like as she heads into a new chapter of her career.
In a newly published conversation with Nicole Kidman for
Interview
magazine on Nov. 24, the singer and actress opened up about her upcoming Eternal Sunshine world tour, revealing that the run will be intentionally smaller than the massive global treks she’s mounted in the past.
“We’re doing a small amount compared to what I used to do back in the day. I think it’s 45 shows,” Grande said. “It’s not that small, but it’s at least half of what I used to do.”
The 2026 tour follows her Billboard No. 1 album
Eternal Sunshine
, released earlier this year, and marks her return to full-scale live performance after stepping away from music to film the two-part
Wicked
movie franchise. That period, Grande said, played a transformative role in reshaping her relationship with fame, creativity and the pressures that accompany commercial success.
“I’ve just been healing my relationship to music and touring over the past couple of years,” she told Kidman, explaining that acting helped her reconnect with the joy of creating without the intensity that once accompanied her pop stardom. She described
Eternal Sunshine
as an album that allowed her to rebuild her process: “I think the time away from it helped me reclaim certain pieces of it and put certain feelings that maybe belonged to my relationship to fame… in a box somewhere else.”
Grande said her time playing Glinda in
Wicked
and
Wicked: For Good
helped her “take baby steps toward healing,” particularly around the anxiety she felt early in her pop breakout. “I think it just held some traumas for me before, and I feel those dissipating,” she said. “That is such an extraordinarily beautiful thing.”
She also reflected on how she has learned to detach from public commentary and criticism, saying that she now relies on meditation rather than internalizing negative reactions. “Should that dance have to be a part of being an artist,” she wondered, “or should that just be put in a box far away from me?”
Grande’s Eternal Sunshine tour will launch in June 2026 in Oakland, Cali., before heading through North America and Europe, concluding in London in late August.
