Even before that announcement, Grande had described the Eternal Sunshine tour – which started in the US in June – as “one last hurrah”, saying she wanted to take more acting roles after her Oscar-nominated performance in Wicked.<\/p>\n
That meant her 10 show residency at London’s O2 Arena represented many fans’ last chance to see her in concert. <\/p>\n
They flew in from all over the world – from China and Australia and cities all across Europe – with 200,000 people attending the London dates alone. <\/p>\n
On the second night, Grande surprised the audience by bringing out her Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo for a rendition of their movie duet For Good.<\/p>\n
Across the board, reviews were positive.<\/p>\n
“There’s no question about it – Ariana Grande is one of the best singers of her generation,” wrote Rolling Stone magazine, external<\/a>, noting that “there were no signs” of the singer “struggling or not wanting to be there”.<\/p>\n The Telegraph called the show “flawless”, external<\/a>, praising its “Hollywood-indebted” staging, and Grande’s “genuine affection for Britain”.<\/p>\n The BBC’s review highlighted quieter songs like Imperfect For You<\/a>, describing them as “delicate and gorgeous and strangely intimate in a room of 20,000 people”.<\/p>\n But Guardian writer Kate Solomon said she was “gripped by genuine concern”, external<\/a> for Grande, even when she was enjoying the show, adding: “I really hope this tour does not go down in history for the wrong reasons”.<\/p>\n The NME, by contrast, was left breathless by the star’s physical prowess.<\/p>\n