Ariana Grande has withdrawn from her planned West End debut, with the pop star’s representative saying she intends to take a “step back” from public life.
Ms Grande was due to appear alongside her Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey in Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in The Park with George during the summer of 2027 at London’s Barbican theatre.
However, the 33-year-old singer’s representative said she was seeking a “much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances” after completing her current tour in London on 1 September.
Producers of Sunday in The Park with George said in a statement on X that they understood the decision and fully supported her, adding that the production would continue as planned and that replacement casting would be revealed “in due course”.
Following this evening’s announcement from Ariana Grande’s team, we can confirm that she has decided to step back from Sunday in the Park with George.
We know this cannot have been an easy decision, and she makes it with our complete understanding and support. 1/2
— Sunday In The Park With George (@SundayParkStage) August 2, 2026
Speaking to People magazine, Ms Grande’s representative said the Grammy-winning performer remained eager to finish the tour but wanted to “step back from visibility” after her frequent public appearances had brought “endless, ongoing public scrutiny”.
The news follows renewed attention on Ms Grande’s health. She has previously warned that comments focused on her body are “really dangerous”.
From Broadway to global stardom
Ms Grande first made her mark as a teenager on Broadway before building a hugely successful career as a pop artist.
Her performance as Glinda in the film version of Wicked earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. The film’s enormous success, followed by its sequel Wicked: For Good, kept her in the spotlight and required near-continuous media appearances for much of the past two years.
She is also due to star opposite Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro in the comedy Focker-in-Law, which is scheduled to reach cinemas in November.
Source: AFP
