Ariana Grande forced to cancel Wicked: For Good premiere appearance

Ariana Grande missed the "Wicked: For Good" premiere in Brazil. Photo / Bang Showbiz

Ariana Grande said she is “beyond devastated” to be missing the Wicked: For Good premiere in Brazil because of flight issues.

The 32-year-old actor – who is reprising her role as Glinda the Good Witch in the musical blockbuster – was due in Sao Paulo on Tuesday (local time) for the sequel’s screening, but issues with her flight mean she won’t make it.

In the early hours of the morning, she wrote on Instagram: “Brazil, I can’t believe this is happening and I am beyond devastated to be sending this message.

“A few hours ago, my team and I had to deplane our flight, as they had to do maintenance on the plane because of a safety issue and it will not be taking off until 11am tomorrow which means that I would not be making it in time for the Wicked: For Good Sao Paulo premiere.”

The actor and pop star insisted her own team and Universal “have tried every single thing possible to fix this”, to no avail.

She continued: “We’ve searched every other flight, overnight, early morning, connecting flights, commercial and also private options and absolutely nothing was available or possible that would get us there in time.

“Even in attempting a private option, there is a permit necessary in order to fly from here that takes time to attain.”

Grande urged her fans to pass on their love to her “incredible castmates” as she apologised for the situation.

She added: “I am so heartbroken that I’m unable to be there with you all. We sincerely tried everything we could and I apologised from the bottom of my heart.

“Please shower my incredible castmates with all of the love that I wish I could be showering you with and have the most beautiful celebration.

“And again, I am so, so very sorry.”

Grande recently admitted she almost quit music after 2020’s Positions before filming 2024’s Wicked and rediscovering her “spark” for writing and singing.

Appearing on Shut Up Evan with Evan Ross Katz, she said: “[Playing Glinda] has done so much for Ariana. It has totally rearranged everything about my relationship to creating, you know. I didn’t think I was going to make an album ever again when I left for London.

“That was kind of my secret, but I didn’t think I was going to, you know.”

The Thank U, Next hitmaker says Glinda’s strong “self-belief” inspired her return to music, which came last year with Eternal Sunshine.

She continued: “So I learned a lot from her as a character who learns so much over the course of these two films and has to look at herself in the mirror constantly and sort of peel away at the pieces of her that don’t feel aligned. So I do think that I was kind of forced to do that alongside her.”