Is this what heaven looks like? Ariana Grande, heels and a lot of gay men. After more than a decade of being a fan by association, writer Moira González finally sees the pop star live during her Eternal Sunshine Tour in London.
My hangover from All Points East only starts hitting me as I get a message that my Addison Lee driver is going to pick me up in 30 minutes. I immediately put on the polka-dot skirt the Outcast team sent me for the day, one that I know Ariana would love, as it is equal parts mini and cute, and a pair of heels – for a moment, I fear I’ll be the only one dressed up.
I have been a loyal Ariana Grande follower for as long as I can remember. I wasn’t given a choice. My best friend from my small town, where no one else seemed to share my pop culture interest, has been her number one fan for well over a decade now. So naturally, I had to become one too, by force. I still remember her birthday – 26th June – because it was a big deal for this friend growing up, and the countless times we rewatched her music videos or debated her taste in men.
So, as you can imagine, I could hardly contain the anticipation of hearing the songs I grew up with live at the sold-out Eternal Sunshine Tour – the 41-stop arena run celebrating her seventh and eighth albums, Eternal Sunshine and Petal. My excitement was bittersweet, knowing Ariana recently confirmed this tour would be her final bow before taking an indefinite hiatus from the public eye.
To no one’s surprise, when I arrive at the O2 in Greenwich, both the girls and the guys were all wearing a medley of heels, knee-high boots and platforms. From teenagers holding their parents’ hands to fully grown adults, the dress code is clear: a very high ponytail, a very mini dress and at least seven inches of added height. That’s a world I want to live in. In nods to her “The Boy is Mine” look, there are girls with whips too – we need more of those! Ariana fans are nothing if not committed.
Once inside our box after a couple of cocktails at one of the wonderfully tacky bars in the O2 arena, we are greeted with a selection of canapés, and most importantly, more tempting drinks. Perfect setting, great view. After taking multiple photos for different influencers and learning about the right lighting to make you look snatched, the arena goes dark and the first notes of “Yes, And?” fill me with butterflies in my stomach.
The track list is a bit of a best-hits run, but rather than a retrospective tour, it feels like a full narrative about identity, healing and public scrutiny, mapping their maker’s journey from early songs like “Honeymoon Avenue” to the new album’s title track “petal”. Divided into five acts, the sweeping 23-song set sees her flex her vocals, running and dancing around the stage in what I assume are at least seven- or eight-inch heels.
“Hampstead” performed by Ariana, sitting in a stool with a mic and no band, makes me feel emotional, but my favourite moment is when she performs a mesmerising live vocal loop of her title track “Eternal Sunshine” from scratch.
As the set draws to a close, I keep thinking about my friends. Remember when Adele won a Grammy and dedicated part of her speech to Beyoncé, saying she loved “the way you make me and my friends feel”? Ariana does that for me, but gay version. I love the way she makes my gay friends feel and how openly she celebrates and stands up for the community that has embraced her so passionately. She is a hag; it takes one to know one.
The show ends with Ariana being lifted towards the rafters in a beam of light, disappearing into the O2 above us, an appropriately dramatic exit for a larger-than-life pop diva who has spent the entire night turning heartbreak, memory and fantasy into a spectacle. But perhaps what I love most was the atmosphere she creates around her. Everyone is genuinely thrilled to see others having a good time too.
As I leave the venue, a girl stops me to ask where my skirt is from, which felt like the perfect little final nod to the evening. Before jumping into my car back to North London, I do what feels most natural; I immediately call my best friend.
