Ariana Grande Says Eternal Sunshine Tour Has Changed Her

Ariana Grande says her current Eternal Sunshine tour has given her a chance to reconnect with her fans in a way she could not during her previous tour.

Speaking earlier this week on Jessica Vosk’s YouTube series Vosk in the City, Grande described the tour as a “beautiful corrective experience.” She said she is in a different place in her life now and has been able to be more present with her audience.

“I wasn’t able to be as present as I am this time,” Grande said, explaining that she can now truly “see and connect and feel” the relationship she has built with her fans over the years.

Grande also joked that there was a very literal reason she could not see her fans as clearly during her last tour: she was not wearing contact lenses. This time, she said, she can recognize fans in the audience, including those dressed in costumes and outfits based on “strange niche jokes.”

For Grande, the connection goes far beyond a typical performer-and-audience relationship. Her fans have followed her music for about 13 years, making the relationship feel deeply personal.

The Eternal Sunshine tour began in June and is scheduled to continue through early September. It is Grande’s first major tour since her Sweetener World Tour in 2019.

The tour will also mark a temporary change in Grande’s public life. After it ends in London, the singer plans to take a break from public-facing work and appearances.

A representative for Grande told PEOPLE on Aug. 2 that she is looking forward to finishing the tour “healthily and happily” before taking a “much-deserved break.” The representative also said Grande has loved the tour and considers it a beautiful experience.

Grande will also no longer appear in the previously announced West End production of Sunday in the Park With George, which is scheduled to open at London’s Barbican Centre next summer alongside Jonathan Bailey.

During an Eternal Sunshine show in Chicago earlier this month, Grande addressed her decision to step back. She stressed that the choice was not a reaction to criticism or speculation surrounding her.

Grande said the decision had been made privately and thoughtfully long before she announced it. She also pushed back against the idea that negative attention had taken away her enjoyment of performing.

“Many things can be true at the same time,” she told the crowd, making it clear that she can need a break while still considering the tour one of the most meaningful experiences of her career.

Grande also spoke about setting boundaries as public discussion about her appearance continues online. She said that outside criticism does not define her reality or her relationship with her fans.

For Grande, the Eternal Sunshine tour appears to have become more than a return to live performances. It has given her an opportunity to reconnect with her audience, enjoy the present and experience performing on her own terms.

She described the tour as “the most healing, beautiful, corrective, magnificent, special experience of my life” — a sign that this chapter of her career has left a lasting impact on her.