Ariana Grande has wrapped her tour and is off on a much-needed break.
The pop star, who announced in early August that she would "step back from visibility" after finishing her "Eternal Sunshine" arena tour, ended the 41-date trek and a 10-night residency at the O2 Arena in London on Tuesday, Sept. 1, with words of gratitude to her fans.
Grande, 33, called the tour one of the "most beautiful, extraordinary experiences" of her life, per ABC News.
"I'll cherish this experience always. I have the best fans in the entire world, and I always have," she added. "Thank you for all of your effort and continuing to make this so special. I have loved every minute of this with you all."
In light of Grande's move, her planned West End debut in a summer 2027
production of "Sunday in the Park with George" with "Wicked" costar Jonathan Bailey has been canceled, People and Deadline previously reported. Bailey also recently dropped out of the production after "much consideration," though it is unclear why.
"Ari is one of my dearest friends, and my support for her is unwavering. [Director Marianne Elliot] is extraordinary and one of my longest collaborators and friend," Bailey wrote in a statement shared on his Instagram stories. "This brilliant, introspective musical has been a real passion project for me, and I feel incredibly lucky to have shared in its journey with this team."
A day after Grande announced plans to step back, she assured fans her decision was "not a reactive or impulsive thing" but a "thoughtful" and "empowered" decision she "quietly made a long time ago."
"Boundaries can need to be set, human beings can need a break sometimes, and also, this can be, and will continue to be, the greatest experience of my professional and creative life," she added.
Grande, 33, has been in the spotlight and making headlines nonstop between back-to-back "Wicked" films (and a widely mocked press tour), a controversial 3-year romance and persistent public commentary about her appearance.
The former child star has spoken out several times about public discourse surrounding her, including an April 2023 TikTok video addressing "what it means to be a person with a body and to be seen and to be paid such close attention to." As a caption on the video read, "You've been talking about it for a decade or longer so I'd like to join in this time."
"We should be gentler and less comfortable commenting on people's bodies, no matter what," she said. "You never know what someone is going through."
And in a 2024 Vanity Fair interview, the "Hate That I Made You Love Me" singer discussed being the recipient of a decade's worth of scrutiny.
"It's taken me a lot of hard work to be able to last this long and to heal certain parts of my relationship to fame and to what I do because of these tabloids that have been trying to destroy me since I was 19 years old," she said. "I will never let disreputable evil tabloids ruin my life or my perception of what is real and good."
Contributing: Brendan Morrow and KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ariana Grande ends tour after decision to 'step back'
