Ariana Grande says her coming break from public-facing work was planned long before recent headlines intensified questions about her health, appearance and future in entertainment.
The 33-year-old singer addressed the decision during the August 3 stop of her Eternal Sunshine Tour at Chicago’s United Center.
Speaking to the audience for approximately four minutes, Grande explained that the announcement was not an impulsive response to a difficult week or a sudden rejection of the career she has built.
She described the break as a carefully considered decision to recognize her limits and establish stronger boundaries around her public life.
Grande Said the Decision Was Made Long Ago
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Grande told the Chicago audience that she had quietly planned the step back well before her representative publicly confirmed it on August 2. “The announcement that was made yesterday was not a reactive or impulsive thing,” she said, according to People’s account of the speech.
Grande said she had made the plan “quietly, a long time ago” and was speaking directly to fans because outside reports could make the situation appear more sudden or dramatic than it was.
She acknowledged that boundaries were necessary and told the crowd that people sometimes need a break. Grande also described the decision as coming from a thoughtful and empowered place rather than one of defeat.
She Rejected Claims That Negativity Had Ruined the Tour
Grande addressed concern that recent public commentary had destroyed her enjoyment of performing. “I heard my fans were worried negativity was ruining things for me, but that could not be more than the opposite,” she said.
She told fans that outside “noise” could not distort the reality of the love she experienced inside the venues. Grande described the tour as one of the most healing and meaningful experiences of her life and thanked the Chicago crowd before returning to the performance.
The Break Is Specifically From Public Visibility
A representative for Grande previously told People that she would take “a step back from visibility” after completing the tour. Her representative said Grande wanted to finish the tour “healthily and happily” before taking time away from the ongoing scrutiny attached to her public appearances.
A source close to the singer also told the outlet that the show requires significant athleticism and that Grande had continued performing at a high level throughout the tour.
She Withdrew From a Planned West End Musical
She has withdrawn from the planned 2027 West End revival of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Sunday in the Park with George, in which she was expected to appear opposite her Wicked costar Jonathan Bailey.
Empire Street Productions said it supported Grande’s decision and confirmed that the musical would still open at London’s Barbican Centre in summer 2027.
“We know this cannot have been an easy decision,” the producers said in a statement, adding that replacement casting would be announced later.
Grande has already completed work on the comedy Focker-in-Law, starring Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro, which is scheduled to open in theaters on November 25.
Grande Had Already Suggested Her Priorities Were Changing
During a November 2025 appearance on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast, Grande said the next decade of her career would probably look different from the previous 10 to 15 years.
She explained that pop music had once consumed nearly all of her professional life, but acting, musical theater and comedy had shown her that multiple creative pursuits could exist alongside one another. Grande also warned that another major tour might not happen for “a long, long, long, long time.” She described the Eternal Sunshine Tour as “one last hurrah” before immediately adding, “For now.”
Grande’s Chicago engagement continues with performances at the United Center on August 5 and 6. She will then begin a 10-night residency at London’s O2 Arena on August 15, with additional shows scheduled for August 16, 19, 20, 23, 24, 27, 28 and 31. The tour is scheduled to conclude at the O2 on September 1, after which Grande’s planned step back from public visibility will begin.