Ariana Grande Finished Her Final Tour Show, Then Immediately Got Trapped in an Elevator

Ariana Grande said she became stuck in a lift moments after completing the final show of her 41-date Eternal Sunshine Tour at The O2 in London on 1 September. The 33-year-old singer later shared black-and-white photographs from the incident in an Instagram post on 12 September.

One image showed Grande and team member CJ Robinson appearing to try to prise open the lift doors. Grande captioned the picture, 'Stuck in an elevator moments after our final show.' A second photograph showed her boyfriend, Ricky Álvarez, helping at the doors as Grande added, 'Continued (i almost had it tbh).'

Robinson later commented that she 'wouldn't want to be stuck in an elevator with anyone else xoxo,' correcting an earlier attribution that mistakenly credited the remark to Álvarez.

Ariana Grande Lift Mishap Followed Emotional Final Show

The unexpected lift problem followed an emotional night at The O2, where Grande brought the tour to a close after performances across the United States, Canada and the UK.

During her farewell remarks, Grande thanked the audience and described the tour as one of the most meaningful experiences of her career. She told fans it had been 'one of the most beautiful, extraordinary experiences' of her life and said she would 'cherish this experience always.'

Grande also thanked supporters for 'being by my side all the way from Honeymoon Avenue to Hampstead,' referencing songs from different stages of her career.

She became emotional again while performing 'One Last Time (Attends-moi),' asking the crowd to help sing when she struggled to continue.

The final London show came about a month after Grande addressed plans to step back from public-facing work. During a concert at Chicago's United Center on 3 August, she paused the show to speak directly to fans about reports surrounding the decision.

Grande said the announcement 'was not a reactive or impulsive thing' and explained that she had quietly made the plan 'a long time ago.' She described it as 'a decision that was made from a thoughtful and empowered place.'

She also addressed fan concerns that online negativity influenced her choice, saying that interpretation was wrong. Grande stressed that setting boundaries and needing a break could coexist with her positive experience on tour.

'No matter what noises exist out there, nothing will ever be able to distort my reality or be more real to me or louder to me than this love that we share in this room,' Grande told the Chicago audience.

Sunday in the Park with George Moves Ahead Without Original Leads

Grande's decision to step back also changed plans for the forthcoming London production of Sunday in the Park with George.

Jonathan Bailey announced on 1 September that he had withdrawn from the Stephen Sondheim musical after Grande had previously left the production. Bailey said Grande was 'one of my dearest friends' and that his support for her was 'unwavering.'

He also praised director Marianne Elliott and said he felt 'incredibly lucky' to have been part of the production's development.

The Barbican says the musical remains scheduled for summer 2027. Its current listing says work on the production is continuing, casting discussions are underway, and the creative team is reshaping the show around a new company.

The production, which has music and lyrics by Sondheim and a book by James Lapine, is being produced by Empire Street Productions and presented in association with the Barbican. Further casting and production details will be announced in due course.

For Grande, the lift mishap provided an unexpectedly light final note after an emotional farewell. Her own description kept the episode simple; she was stuck in a lift only moments after bringing the tour to an end.