Ariana Grande performs onstage (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Ariana Grande’s eagerly anticipated Sweetener tour kicks off tonight, March 18, in Albany, New York.
Fans have been waiting for months to see what Grande is going to cook up for them and it’s no doubt going to be an amazing show. Following the Albany show, Grande and her team will hit 42 cities in the states and then head overseas.
Here’s everything we know so far:
OPENING ACTS:
Ariana’s tour is not only going to be great for fans ready to see her perform, but also for new and exciting artists.
Earlier this year, Fifth Harmony alum and Dancing With a Stranger singer Normani confirmed she would be opening the show for Grande.
“[E]xcited would be an absolute understatement,” Normani wrote. “I’m feeling special right now because I get to spend three months on tour with @arianagrande the sweetest of angels. THANK YOU! See y’all soon.”
According to Cheatsheet, Grande will also give her producers Social House, comprised of Michael “Mikey” Foster and Charles “Scootie” Anderson, time to rock the stage as well.
SETLIST:
While the official set list has yet to be released, Grande has been dropping teasers about what we can expect to hear on the tour.
She also shared this clip of her performing No Tears Left to Cry and shared that she will be singing songs from both Sweetener and thank u, next.
VISUALS:
Ariana did give fans a little hint into the visuals they can expect to see. Last month, she shared a beautiful shot of herself that she promised they could expect to see at the concert.
“hey love u. shot a bunch of sh– for tour yesterday,” she wrote in her signature all-lowercase caption form. “today we back to rehearsing. but just wanted u to know how fucking over the moon excited and grateful i am. i cant wait to see u. sheesh.”
Grande’s fans can likely assume that she is going to collaborate with her longtime video director and pal, Hannah Lux Davis, on visuals for the songs they’ve previously worked on together. Davis, who directed the videos for “break up with ur girlfriend, i’m bored,” “7 rings” and “thank u, next,” is expected to create videos for the Sweetener tour, just as she did for the Dangerous Woman tour.
Grande is also collaborating with her longtime A-list stylist, Law Roach, on costumes for the show, and shared a few possible looks with fans over the last few days:
In terms of how the performances will look, we can definitely expect her dancers to play a major role in the show.
She shared a few images of their rehearsals, including this one, which she teased with the caption “see you soon.”
It also looks like this money gun may be involved one way or another too, as Grande has posted about it at least 3 times on her Instagram:
SAFETY:
Following the attack on her concert in Manchester back in 2017, Grande is taking no chances when it comes to security on this tour. Last month, she posted that fans who purchased tickets will get official instructions but asked them to invest in clear bags as a precaution.
“We’re sending out emails soon encouraging you to order a clear bag to bring your things into the venues as security is going to be very precise and smooth but for sure super strict,” she wrote. “they’re super cheap and simple but having them ahead of time will for sure help things go as smooth as possible so if you see this in your emails please don’t ignore it!”
Additional details are sure to come out tonight and we will definitely keep you posted.