Ariana Grande performs at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif. on June 6, 2026.
Ariana Grande performs at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif. on June 6, 2026. Photos courtesy Katia Temkin and Julian Dakdouk. This story will be updated with photos from the June 10 show when they become available.
OAKLAND — At the last of three shows that kicked off Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine tour at Oakland Arena — her first stage outing since 2019 — tears and screams made clear her fans had been hungry for her return.
The set was largely filled with songs from Grande’s 2024 album, Eternal Sunshine, and its 2025 deluxe edition, brighter days ahead, starting with opener “Yes, And?” When a countdown clock hit zero, the song’s house-inspired beat blasted through the arena and a white curtain with silhouettes behind it dropped to reveal Grande and her dancers launching into sharp choreography.
The concert quickly established its visual world with an apocalyptic, alien-like two-story set and an opening short film, the first of multiple video interludes continuing the story from Grande’s music videos inspired by 2004 film “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” Each video related to the importance of memory and followed a storyline that came together only at the very end of the night. While the graphics on the massive main stage screen and the LED floor weren’t always as interesting or high in production value — images of flames seemed generic for a star of Grande’s magnitude — these interludes were beautifully crafted and captivating.
“It’s good to see us, isn’t it?” Grande said after the first song, referencing one of her lines from “Wicked.” She didn’t sing any songs from that movie, which was definitely the right call. After multiple years in Hollywood, it was nice to have Grande fully embrace her pop star persona.
Grande didn’t speak much or interact with the audience throughout the show, and when she did, it was sometimes hard to make out what she was saying due to the room’s echos and imperfect sound mixing. At times, the reverb and instruments drowned out Grande’s vocals, which should have been front and center. Her voice is generational, with belting and smooth runs bolstering every song’s final chorus, from iconic 2010s hits like “One Last Time” to calmer tracks like “Warm.”
Grande covered songs from each of her albums except for 2018’s Sweetener. To make up for it, she sang multiple songs from positions, her soulful, sexy pandemic project that never got a tour of its own.
Ariana Grande performs at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif. on June 6, 2026.
She relied on tracked vocals to create her layered airy harmonies and cover the melodies when she was ad-libbing on top. For “Eternal Sunshine,” she brought out a looper on the B-stage and manipulated her vocals live, her celestial harmonies matching the outer-space imagery across the video screens. Sometimes covered by a moveable screen, the main stage’s two-story apocalyptic set was eventually overtaken by greenery, seeming to represent growth as the show went on.
Before “The Boy is Mine,” for which Grande put on a sleek cat-ear mask and acted out an entire storyline with a whip and her dancers, a spotlight roamed around the arena like a helicopter’s lights. The crowd was loud and enthusiastic constantly, cheering especially for impressive ad-libs and singing along most loudly to Grande’s 2010s throwbacks like “7 rings” and “Break Free.” While her more recent music is dreamy and sounded beautiful, those radio pop hits were consistently the show’s most fun moments.
The dancers added visual excitement during those upbeat pop songs and allowed Grande to take the stage for herself when the music called for it. After gorgeous ballad “Hampstead,” two ballet dancers performed a stunning and emotional pas de deux to an orchestral outro.
She began 2016’s “Into You” backstage with her glam team — including celebrity stylist Law Roach, who got lots of cheers when he showed up on the screen. The song hit with its sugary, sexy pop confection.
Before singing her latest single, “hate that i made you love me,” Grande announced that it was her mom’s birthday — who appeared at the end of the B-stage before joining Grande for “Happy Birthday.”
It seemed the night would end with the sweet “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love),” a euphoric pop song. Grande waved goodbye, blew kisses and opened the exit door while the track faded out. But flashing lights and dramatic sound effects stopped her in her tracks.
She turned to see the circular screen above the B-stage glowing like a massive UFO, staring out in awe while being bathed in pale blue light. As “Supernatural” began, she walked toward it and met her dancers before the song jumped to its climax. Then, in one of the show’s most striking moments, she floated up into the circular screen, recreating the brighter days ahead album cover. As she leaned back in her white nightgown while belting soaring high notes, the moment felt truly supernatural.
Grande constantly showed her appreciation for others, from bowing in reverence to her guitarist after his “Dangerous Woman” solo to profusely thanking the audience and concluding the show with credits rolling on the screen for everyone who worked on the show. But no matter how much she tried to share the spotlight, the night proved that even after six years without touring, Grande is absolutely still an individual star.
Ariana Grande performs at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif. on June 6, 2026.
Ariana Grande performs at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif. on June 6, 2026.
Ariana Grande performs at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif. on June 6, 2026.
Ariana Grande performs at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif. on June 6, 2026.
Ariana Grande performs at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif. on June 6, 2026.
Ariana Grande performs at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif. on June 6, 2026.
Ariana Grande performs at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif. on June 6, 2026.
Ariana Grande performs at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif. on June 6, 2026.
Ariana Grande performs at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif. on June 6, 2026.
Ariana Grande performs at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif. on June 6, 2026.
Ariana Grande performs at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif. on June 6, 2026.
Ariana Grande performs at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif. on June 6, 2026.
About The Author
Ben Siegel grew up in the Bay Area and is now a journalism student across the country at Boston University. He writes for BU’s student publication, The Daily Free Press, and goes to as many concerts as he can.
Ben Siegel grew up in the Bay Area and is now a journalism student across the country at Boston University. He writes for BU’s student publication, The Daily Free Press, and goes to as many concerts as he can.