The second the countdown clock ticks over to zero, the atmosphere in the O2 shifts from anticipation to full-blown hysteria. 20,000 people bolt to their feet and scream in unison as the stage curtain falls to the floor and heel-clad Ariana Grande belts out the opening notes of yes, and?.
For two hours, the excitement never wanes. There's an electricity in the air that only a star of great magnitude can generate after being away for six years. Fans lose it when she struts the catwalk in the highest pair of platform heels, they belt out every lyric to both her new and decade-old hits, and they chant her name as if she's an old friend who's arrived for a long-awaited reunion.
And that's exactly what Ariana's London show, one of her final performances of her Eternal Sunshine tour before she steps back from the limelight, felt like: a reunion between a global star and a fanbase that's stood by her through years of life and public scrutiny. The joy was palpable, but what I didn't expect were the equally emotional moments filtered throughout. Here are five times Ariana Grande's concert delighted and surprised.
© Katia TempkinComplete silence
Ariana had fans screaming her lyrics back to her for the entire show – except for a minute and a half when she managed to command complete silence in a room of thousands.
Standing on a smaller circular B-stage in the middle of the arena with just her and a live loop machine, Ariana asked one unexpected thing of the roaring crowd: "I know this is not the most ideal time to ask, but would you mind just giving me 90 seconds of quiet to start this bit," she requested.
A chorus of shushes filled the arena before the crowd fell silent. You could hear a pin drop. It was just Ariana and her voice in one of the most mesmerising moments of the whole show. "I don't care what people say it's true," the singer launched into a heartfelt and emotionally charged performance of her track Eternal Sunshine, from her 2024 album of the same name, as she seemingly brushed off all the outside noise.
© Julian Dakdouk'Special place in my heart'
After two months playing across the States, including her native Florida, Ariana is wrapping up her tour with these ten shows in London. And the pop star made it clear to her UK fans that the choice was a meaningful one.
The show was scattered with emotional odes to the city, from performing her London-inspired track Hampstead to singing One Last Time, the anthem she played back at the One Love Manchester benefit concert in 2017.
"I lived here for a while while we were filming Wicked," Ariana shared mid-concert.
"So it will always have a very, very, very special place in my heart," she explained, adding it felt "very special" to perform Hampstead after living in northwest London.
© Katia TempkinEmotional interludes
For the duration of the show, Ariana kept her pop girl armour intact, looking poised and unfazed by any outside noise. The cracks only began to show in emotionally charged video footage between the different acts of the performance.
While the singer was busy changing into her next costume backstage, the screens played pre-recorded interludes that saw Ariana confronting past versions of herself in a cinematic dreamscape of sorts. The singer smashes up a memory-wiping computer and revisits different poignant chapters in her life. But one of the most heartbreaking scenes is when the singer visits a memory room representing her One Love Manchester concert.
A surprise performance
© Getty Images for Critics ChoiceThe roar of the crowd reached a decibel level louder than any show I've attended when Ariana brought out her Wicked co-star Ariana Grande for a surprise duet. After the smashing success of the musical-turned-film, it was hardly shocking to look around and see fans knew every word to For Good – the soundtrack's standout emotional ballad the co-stars chose to reprise for their on-stage reunion.
Nearly a year since the second Wicked film's release, it was the reunion fans had been desperate for, and the moment certainly didn't disappoint. The two beamed and shared a warm hug after singing a mash-up of Get Happy/ Happy Days Are Here Again.
This long-time Wicked fan is still processing the absolutely delightful surprise.
Gravity-defying finish
© Julian DakdoukAfter a spellbinding two hours of pop perfection, Ariana wrapped up her performance on the most magical of notes: by levitating out of view.
The singer defied gravity as she was floated above the stage, surrounded by a halo of light, all while hitting every note of her fan-favourite track Supernatural.
It was an awe-worthy moment that felt particularly poignant given her impending hiatus.
