Ariana Grande debuts 'a new tattoo' rumoured to match boyfriend’s as she kicks off London shows

Pop star Ariana Grande thanked fans for their support as she kicked off the first night of her string of shows in London. The singer, 33, also appeared to show off a new tattoo that fans have speculated matches the same one sported by dancer and photographer Ricky Alvarez, whom she recently is said to have rekindled a romance with.

The pair dated from 2015 until 2016, and he was a back-up dancer for her Honeymoon tour, but after their split she name-dropped him in her 2018 song, Thank U, Next, with lyrics saying she “wrote some songs about Ricky, now I listen and laugh”.

But earlier this week the couple went Instagram official again as she shared a carousel of pictures, including one in which they are wearing matching white tops, with his hand over her shoulder. Their faces aren’t in the pictures but she tagged him, and he reshared it on his Insta stories. Among the pictures is also a piece of paper that shows the same words as her rumoured new tattoo.

Pictures on social media from her first London gig appear to show a tattoo on her collar bone saying ‘I do love you’, the same tattoo Alvarez apparently has on his chest. She has over 50 inkings on her body - including her hands and fingers. Her current tattoos include an ode to Breakfast at Tiffany’s, a matching one with Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo which reads ‘For Good’ and an E for her character Elphaba.

Her 10-night run of shows at London’s O2 as part of her Eternal Sunshine Tour are sold out.

Last month she announced she would be taking a step back from the spotlight, including dropping out of the upcoming London revival of the Stephen Sondheim musical Sunday In The Park With George, in which she was due to appear opposite her Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey.

It came after the music video for Petal, the title single from her newly released eighth studio album, sparked speculation about her health.

But a representative for the singer said in a statement to People at the time: “Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour. 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.”

During her first London show she told the crowd: “I’m so grateful to be doing this with you all… these 10 dates are the last stop on this tour.”

She later added: “You’ve shown me so much love so I want to say thank you.”

Her set included songs from her 2024 album Eternal Sunshine with some tracks from her latest album Petal, as well as her best known hits such as Into You, Thank U, Next and 7 Rings, along with a cover of Lady Gaga’s Rain On Me.

Her decision to step back from the spotlight was ‘not an impulsive thing’

Earlier in the month, during a show in Chicago, she took a break from singing to address the decision, saying it came from “a thoughtful and empowered place.”

In a fan video shared on Grande’s Instagram story, she said: “Is it ok if we get a little real tonight? I wrote down my thoughts cos I don’t want to forget.

“Sometimes when a story comes out that’s not directly from me, things can get a little blown out of proportion. So I just wanted to speak to my fans directly tonight because I love you so much. It means a lot to me. To let you know how I’m feeling and not let the world decide and project. I’d like to just clear the air.

“Basically the announcement that was made yesterday was not a reactive or impulsive thing. It’s something that I have decided. It’s a plan that I have quietly made a long time ago. It’s a decision I was making from a thoughtful and empowered place.”

Grande’s speech was met with applause and screaming from her fans in Chicago as she continued: “I want you to know that many, many things can be true at the same time.

“I want to share this because I heard that my fans were worried that negativity was ruining things for me. But I just have to say that could not be more the f*** opposite. This is not what that is.

“I just want to make it very, very clear. Multiple things can be true at the same time. Boundaries can need to be set. Human beings can need a break sometimes.

“And also this can be and will continue to be the greatest experience of my professional and creative life.

“So I just wanted to make that quite plain. 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 or how it feels to make art with the people that I love and respect. Absolutely nothing will change that.

“I love you, and this is what I will always take with me, because the rest of this shit is not mine to carry, so I don’t carry it.”

She added that the current tour has been the most “healing creative and special experience of my life”.