The Barbican Theatre has wished Ariana Grande “nothing but the best” following her decision to withdraw from the upcoming London revival of Stephen Sondheim’s musical Sunday In The Park With George.
The singer, 33, was slated to star opposite her Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey in the production, scheduled for 2027.
Despite Grande’s departure, the show is set to proceed as planned with Bailey in the lead role, and her part will be recast.
A representative for the Barbican confirmed the news, stating: "On Sunday evening, Ariana Grande’s team shared the news that she has made the difficult decision to step back from our production of Sunday In The Park With George. She makes this with unreserved understanding and support from Empire Street Productions and everyone at the Barbican.
“We wish her nothing but the best for the rest of her tour and for the future, and sincerely hope to welcome her to the Barbican one day when the time is right."
The statement added that the theatre’s team is "continuing their hard work preparing for Sunday In The Park with George to open at the Barbican in summer 2027 as planned, starring Jonathan Bailey and directed by Marianne Elliott. Further casting and details about the run, as well as information about how to buy tickets, will be announced soon."
Grande is planning to take "a step back from visibility" after her Eternal Sunshine tour concludes. The tour includes a 10-night residency at London’s The O2 in August.
The Wicked star is also set to appear in the upcoming film Focker-In-Law, due for release in November, though it remains unclear if she will participate in promotional activities. The comedy, the fourth instalment in the Fockers series, was filmed last year and features Grande as a former FBI hostage negotiator named Olivia.
Additionally, she has a role in the upcoming Warner Bros animated film Oh, The Places You’ll Go!, based on Dr. Seuss’s classic children’s book, which is still in production and slated for a March 2028 release.
A representative for Grande told People that she "looks forward to finishing the tour and ending it on a high note, both healthily and happily, and then taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny. This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much."
Empire Street Productions echoed the sentiment, confirming Grande’s decision to quit the London play was made "with our complete understanding and support."
Their statement added: "We wish her nothing but the best. The production will open at the Barbican in summer 2027 as planned, and casting will be announced in due course."
The original musical, created by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, premiered on Broadway in 1984 with Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters.
It draws inspiration from Georges Seurat’s painting A Sunday Afternoon On The Island Of La Grande Jatte, following a fictionalised Seurat as he endeavours to complete the portrait, exploring challenges in understanding life and art, and his relationship with his lover and muse, Dot.
Grande first rose to prominence playing Cat Valentine on the Nickelodeon television shows Victorious and Sam & Cat. The announcement regarding Sunday In The Park With George follows the release of the music video for ‘Petal’, the title single from her recently released eighth studio album, which had sparked speculation about her health.
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