Ariana Grande cries on stage during emotional farewell to fans ahead of extended absence from public life
Ariana Grande cries on stage during emotional farewell to fans ahead of extended absence from public life
Joey NolfiWed, September 2, 2026 at 6:35 PM UTC
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Ariana Grande on ‘Eternal Sunshine’ tourCredit: Katia TemkinKey Points -
Ariana Grande got visibly emotional while addressing fans during the final show of her Eternal Sunshine tour.
“Thank you for being by my side,” the 33-year-old said before closing the show, the end of which marks the start of Grande’s extended hiatus from public life.
The Grammy-winning pop star previously confirmed that she needed a break, amid concerns over her image.
Ariana Grande kicked off her planned extended absence from public life with an emotional farewell at the end of her 41-date Eternal Sunshine tour.
The Oscar-nominated actress and “Thank U, Next” singer addressed fans on stage in London on Tuesday night, which concluded a 10-performance run in the city as well as Grande’s global tour.
In video captured and shared online by CNN (below), Grande became choked up hearing the cheers of the crowd, who she then thanked — both for the tour and their enduring support — before embarking on her hiatus.
Ariana Grande performing on her ‘Eternal Sunshine’ tourCredit: Katia Temkin
The Grammy winner called the tour “one of the most beautiful, extraordinary experiences of my life,” telling the audience she “just wanted to express my gratitude without sobbing completely” in front of them.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart. It has been so special, and I’ll cherish this experience always. I have the best fans in the entire world,” the 33-year-old continued.
Grande blew kisses toward the crowd as she repeated, “I love you so much, always,” before issuing one last celebratory remark to her applauding fans.
“Thank you for being by my side, all the way from ‘Honeymoon Avenue’ to Hampstead,” she said, referencing the opening track of her 2013 album, Yours Truly.
On Wednesday, Grande shared an Instagram post spotlighting moments from the tour.
“Thank you and i love you always,” she captioned the post.
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Grande made headlines in August over her intention to take “a step back” from public life — news of which broke amid the rollout for her album, Petal. The title track’s accompanying music video quickly courted online criticism over Grande’s physical appearance.
“Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour,” a representative for Grande told Entertainment Weekly’s sister publication, PEOPLE, at the time. As part of the break, Grande also bowed out of next summer’s planned West End revival of Sunday in the Park With George, opposite her Wicked costar Jonathan Bailey.
The day after the announcement, Grande paused her concert in Chicago to address rumors about the impetus behind her decision to retreat from public life.
“I heard that my fans were worried that negativity was ruining things for me. But, I just have to say, that could not be more the f--- opposite,” the star explained.”
“Multiple things can be true at the same time. Boundaries need to be set,” Grande went on, stressing that “human beings can need a break sometimes.”
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The pop icon, who stars in this fall’s Focker-in-Law, also clarified that the current Eternal Sunshine album tour “can be and will continue to be the greatest experience of my professional and creative career.” Grande added that her feelings about her fans existed separately from the decision to step away from the public eye. “I just wanted to make that quite plain,” she emphasized.
Watch Grande’s address on her final Eternal Sunshine show above.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
