Cynthia Erivo joins Wicked co-star Ariana Grande for surprise O2 gig appearance

Erivo and Grande, who both received Oscar nominations for their performances in the 2024 film before reprising their respective roles as Elphaba Thropp and Galinda Upland in Wicked: For Good, performed For Good and Happy Days.

After the show, the Thank U, Next singer shared a clip of the two on stage together to her Instagram Stories, with a heart emoji.

Earlier, Grande thanked fans for their “overwhelming” support as she began her O2 residency on Saturday following the news that she is to step back from public life.

This weekend’s performances were the first of 10 nights at the north Greenwich venue.

The set drew heavily on Grande’s 2024 album Eternal Sunshine with tracks from her latest album Petal, as well as her best-known hits such as Into You, Thank U, Next and 7 Rings, along with a cover of Lady Gaga’s Rain On Me.

The show comes after Grande announced last month that she would take a step back from the spotlight after she completes her O2 residency (Jonathan Brady/PA)

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Grande’s elaborate staging saw her perform in a rundown house and the lighting rig being transformed into a police helicopter, while Grande waved and blew kisses to fans throughout.

Videos breaking up each act of the performance gave the concert a cinematic feel, which was added to by Erivo’s appearance on Sunday.

The show comes after Grande announced last month that she would take a step back from the spotlight after she completes the residency, which will bring an end to her Eternal Sunshine tour.

Speaking on stage at an earlier gig in the tour, Grande said her decision to take a break from public life came from ‘a thoughtful and empowered place’ (Doug Peters/PA)

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Speaking on stage at an earlier gig on the tour, Grande said her decision to take a break from public life came from “a thoughtful and empowered place” and was “not a reactive or impulsive thing”.

She has also dropped out of the upcoming London revival of the Stephen Sondheim musical Sunday In The Park With George, in which she was due to appear opposite Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey. Her role is due to be recast.

It follows Grande’s music video for Petal, the title single from her newly released eighth studio album, which sparked speculation about her health.

The singer also appeared to confirm her relationship with dancer and photographer Ricky Alvarez on Instagram earlier this week.

Petal became Grande’s sixth consecutive number one album last week, following Dangerous Woman (2016), Sweetener (2018), Thank U, Next (2019), Positions (2020) and Eternal Sunshine.