Ariana Grande will step back from public-facing work after her Eternal Sunshine tour ends next month and will no longer star in an upcoming London musical, following what her representative described as “endless, ongoing public scrutiny”. The US singer, 33, had been due to appear in a 2027 revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George at the Barbican, but the production will now go ahead without her.
A representative told People magazine that Grande “will be taking a step back from visibility” after completing the tour. Empire Street Productions, which is behind the revival, said it had her “complete understanding and support” and confirmed that casting will be announced in due course.
Grande’s physical appearance and health have been a topic of speculation in recent years, with attention increasing again after the release of her latest album, Petal, two days ago and her appearance in promotional material for it. Her representative said she looked forward to finishing the tour “on a high note, both healthily and happily”, and added that the tour had been “a beautiful experience” for her.
“She performs a very physical show, and there is a lot of athleticism involved. She performs healthily and successfully at a very high level night after night.”
“Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour.
“She looks forward to finishing the tour and ending it on a high note, both healthily and happily, and then taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny.
“This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much.”
The Thank U, Next and 7 Rings singer had been billed to appear alongside her Wicked co-star, British actor Jonathan Bailey, in the new production of Sondheim’s critically acclaimed 1984 musical. The BBC and Press Association reported that the musical will now proceed without her.
What did the production company say?
Empire Street Productions said Grande had decided to step back from Sunday in the Park with George and that the company fully supported her decision. It added that the production will open at the Barbican in summer 2027 as planned, with casting to be announced later.
“We know this cannot have been an easy decision, and she makes it with our complete understanding and support.
“We wish her nothing but the best.”
Why has attention around Grande increased?
Attention around Grande’s appearance has intensified in recent years and has risen again following the release of Petal and its promotional campaign. The second source also noted that the release of a music video from the newly released eighth studio album prompted speculation about her weight loss and health.
The new reporting also said one of her songs, Like I Do, includes a possible reference to the long-running discussion about her body: “I’ve got shit to talk, keeps me well fed.”
What has Grande said about pressure over her appearance?
Grande discussed scrutiny over her appearance in an interview shared again on social media in November. She said she had been treated as if she were “a specimen in a petri dish since I was 16 or 17” and said she had heard “every form of what is wrong with me”.
She added that the pressure was difficult to ignore and that commentary on body image could be “uncomfortable” and “horrible”.
“It is hard to protect yourself from that noise. I think it’s something that is uncomfortable no matter what scale you’re experiencing it on.”
“From what you are wearing, to your body, to your face, to your everything – there is a comfortability that people have commenting on that that I think is really dangerous. I think it is dangerous for all parties involved.”
Grande shared the interview again on her social media in November “as a loving reminder to all”.
What happens next for the tour and the musical?
The Eternal Sunshine tour will arrive in the UK in August, with a 10-night residency at the O2. Grande’s final London show on 1 September will mark the end of the tour.
Sunday in the Park with George will still open at the Barbican in summer 2027, and Grande’s role will be recast. The musical, created by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, debuted on Broadway in 1984 starring Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters and was inspired by Georges Seurat’s painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.
The show follows Seurat as he tries to complete the portrait while exploring his relationship with his lover and muse, Dot.
What is Grande’s wider career background?
Grande has won three Grammy awards in a music career that took off in 2013 after the release of her debut album, Yours Truly. She first became widely known playing Cat Valentine on the Nickelodeon television shows Victorious and Sam + Cat, and was later nominated for an Oscar for her role as Glinda in the big-screen adaptation of Wicked.
The BBC has approached Grande’s representatives.
Key Facts
- Ariana Grande will take a break from public-facing work after completing the Eternal Sunshine tour.
- She is no longer attached to Sunday in the Park with George at the Barbican in 2027.
- Empire Street Productions says the show will go ahead and casting will be announced in due course.
- Grande was due to appear with Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey.
- Her representative said she wants to finish the tour “on a high note, both healthily and happily”.
