Ariana Grande Speaks Out About Her Decision to ‘Step Back’ in 4-Minute Mid-Show Speech in Chicago: ‘Not a Reactive Thing’
Ariana Grande Speaks Out About Her Decision to ‘Step Back’ in 4-Minute Mid-Show Speech in Chicago: ‘Not a Reactive Thing’
Jack Irvin, Daniel S. LevineTue, August 4, 2026 at 3:06 AM UTC
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Ariana Grande in January 2026Credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty -
Ariana Grande returned to the stage for her Eternal Sunshine Tour show at Chicago’s United Center on Monday, Aug. 3, delivering an emotional speech to fans
A rep for Grande told PEOPLE over the weekend that she will step back from public-facing work after the tour ends in September
She also exited the West End revival of Sunday in the Park with George set for summer 2024
The show must go on for Ariana Grande.
The pop star, 33, returned to the stage for the next stop of the Eternal Sunshine Tour at the United Center in Chicago on Monday, Aug. 3 after her representative told PEOPLE over the weekend that she’s “taking a step back from visibility” once her current run of shows comes to an end in September.
Grande addressed the crowd with a written speech directly to her fans.
“The announcement that was made yesterday was not a reactive or impulsive thing. It is something that I had decided to plan,” Grande said, adding that it was a plan that she “quietly, a long time ago.”
She later told fans that it was not true that “negativity” was “ruining things for me.”
“No matter what noises exist out there, nothing will be able to distort my reality or be more real to me or not as real to me as this love that we share,” Grande told her audience.
As she ended her speech, Grande called her Eternal Sunshine Tour “one of the most healing, beautiful, correct and special experiences” of her life.
“That felt good,” she said before resuming the show. “I wish that words were enough to articulate how much I love you.”
In an Instagram Stories post ahead of the show, Grande expressed her excitement. “See you tonight, my sweethearts!!! I cannot wait and love you so,” she wrote in text displayed over a performance video.
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Ariana Grande in March 2025Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty
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The Eternal Sunshine Tour continues with two more shows in Chicago this week, followed by 10 shows at London’s O2 Arena through Tuesday, Sept. 1.
Over the weekend, a rep for Grande told PEOPLE, “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,” the rep continued. “This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much.”
PEOPLE also confirmed Grande will no longer be appearing in the West End revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George alongside her Wicked costar Jonathan Bailey. The production was scheduled to open at London’s Barbican Centre next summer.
Ariana GrandeCredit: Katia Temkin
A source close to Grande told PEOPLE she “cannot wait to support the brilliant team bringing this project to life.”
The announcements come as Grande’s physical appearance and overall health have become a topic of public discussion, which ramped up following the release of her “Petal” music video on July 31.
Following the Eternal Sunshine Tour, Grande will star alongside Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro in the upcoming comedy Focker-in-Law, the latest installment in the Meet the Parents franchise. The film hits theaters on Nov. 25.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
