After the bombing at her Manchester concert in May of 2017, the death of her ex-boyfriend, Mac Miller, in Sept. of 2018, and a called-off engagement with ex-fiance, Pete Davidson, in Oct. of 2018, it is safe to say that Ariana Grande has been through a lot. However, despite tragedy and heartbreak, the star is back and better than ever.

Ariana Grande-Butera, professionally known as Ariana Grande, 25, is a singer and songwriter who is known for her wide vocal range and powerful voice. She rose to stardom after her breakthrough role as Cat Valentine on Nickelodeon’s “Victorious” followed by the spinoff, “Sam and Cat” with Jennette McCurdy, and then decided to focus primarily on singing rather than acting.

The Sweetener/thank u, next world tour began on March 18 in Albany, New York and will end on Oct. 13 in Switzerland. There are a total of 76 shows, 50 in North America and 26 in Europe. This is Ariana’s fourth tour, the first being The Listening Sessions Tour in 2013, followed by The Honeymoon Tour in 2015, and The Dangerous Woman Tour in 2017. The opening acts for the Sweetener/thank u, next Tour are Social House and ex-Fifth Harmony member, Normani. The tour includes light pink and retro-style merchandise, and the stage features a giant celestial orb to enhance the space theme. Ariana chose to offer voter registration during her tour to encourage fans to utilize their right to vote in the next election. For security purposes, fans were asked to purchase a clear pouch to bring their items in. Pouches were available on the tour website for eight dollars, but they could also be purchased elsewhere for a cheaper price.

Ariana performed at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa., on March 26. Several students from Pennridge High School attended the concert, including seniors Maddie Geib and Olivia Pena. This was Maddie’s first concert and she loved it. “It was amazing”, she said, “she sang all of my favorite songs and her voice live is incredible”. This was not Olivia’s first concert, but her first was an Ariana concert. “I saw her Honeymoon Tour in 2015. It’s cool to see how she’s grown as an artist and a performer”. Olivia attended this concert with her best friend, with whom she saw Ariana’s last two tours. When asked if she would recommend this tour to others, Olivia said, “Yes, definitely. She is a great live performer. Her vocals are amazing, the visuals were great, and I loved the choreography. Everyone was having so much fun”. She mentioned how Ariana is very appreciative of her fans, thanked them a lot, and treats them like they are her friends. When asked what her favorite part was, Olivia said, “When she sang NASA. That is my favorite song of hers and there was a huge planet that came down from the ceiling during the song”. The most memorable event in her opinion was when Ariana came out for an encore and sang her well-known single, “thank u, next”. Overall, this tour is a huge success and possibly her best one yet, with many of her shows selling out.

This photo taken by Maddie Geib shows some of the beautiful light visuals used throughout the show.