Ariana Grande reveals how playing Glinda reshaped her relationship with touring and performing live

Finding Joy in Performance Again

December 15, 2025 — Ariana Grande says stepping into the role of Glinda in Wicked helped heal her complicated relationship with touring, allowing her to reconnect with performance in a healthier, more grounded way. The singer and actress recently reflected on how the experience shifted her mindset, offering clarity after years of intense touring schedules and emotional burnout tied to life on the road.

For Grande, who spent much of her early career moving from one global tour to the next, the role marked a turning point — not just professionally, but personally. Rather than reigniting pressure, Wicked helped restore a sense of joy and intention around performing.

A Career Built on Relentless Touring

Grande rose to superstardom through nonstop touring, performing night after night while navigating enormous public expectations. While the success cemented her place as a pop powerhouse, she has previously acknowledged that the pace often came at a personal cost.

Over time, touring became associated with exhaustion and emotional strain rather than excitement. Grande admitted that she began to feel disconnected from the very thing that once brought her happiness — performing for an audience. That disconnect lingered even as her career continued to thrive.

How ‘Wicked’ Offered a Reset

Playing Glinda provided Grande with a different kind of performance environment. Unlike touring, which demands constant movement and repetition, the role required stillness, discipline, and emotional presence. Immersing herself in character allowed her to focus on craft rather than spectacle.

Grande said the experience reminded her why she fell in love with performing in the first place — storytelling, vulnerability, and connection. Instead of feeding adrenaline, the process nurtured balance, helping her approach performance with care rather than urgency.

Reframing Her Relationship With the Stage

Rather than reigniting an immediate desire to tour, Wicked helped Grande redefine what performing means to her now. She emphasized that healing didn’t come from doing more, but from doing things differently.

The role allowed her to rebuild trust with herself — trusting her limits, honoring rest, and understanding that stepping back doesn’t mean stepping away forever. That reframing has made the idea of future touring feel less overwhelming and more intentional.

Growth Beyond the Spotlight

Grande’s reflection also speaks to a broader shift in how artists are reassessing success. Instead of measuring fulfillment through packed stadiums alone, she appears focused on sustainability — emotionally, creatively, and physically.

Her comments resonated with fans who have followed her through every era, many of whom praised her honesty about burnout and growth. The transparency reinforced the idea that even at the highest level, recalibration is sometimes necessary.

A Role That Arrived at the Right Time

Grande suggested that Wicked came into her life exactly when it needed to. After years of personal and professional upheaval, the role offered structure and creative focus without the chaos that touring often brings.

By grounding herself in a single character and project, she was able to process her relationship with performance from a place of calm rather than pressure. That clarity, she said, has been transformative.

What This Means for the Future

While Grande has not confirmed when or if she’ll return to touring, her comments suggest a renewed openness — on her own terms. Rather than rejecting the stage entirely, she appears to be redefining how she wants to engage with it moving forward.

Fans have taken comfort in knowing that any future performances will come from a place of health and choice, not obligation.

Healing Through Art

At its core, Grande’s experience with Wicked underscores the power of art to heal the artist as much as the audience. By stepping into Glinda’s world, she found space to reconnect with her own — rediscovering joy, purpose, and balance along the way.

As her career continues to evolve, Grande’s reflections serve as a reminder that growth sometimes means slowing down, listening inward, and allowing creativity to restore what ambition once depleted.