Fans rejoice as Ariana Grande unveils her rich brunette hair, a significant change post-Glinda and perfectly timed with the upcoming Wicked sequel and her highly anticipated Eternal Sunshine tour.
After a captivating three-year run as the iconic Glinda in the highly anticipated two-part Wicked film project, global superstar Ariana Grande has officially shed her golden locks, returning to her signature brunette hair color. This highly anticipated transformation, revealed on October 29, 2025, marks a pivotal moment for Grande and her dedicated fanbase, signaling the symbolic closing of one significant chapter and the exciting commencement of another.
Grande’s return to her roots was unveiled through a mirror selfie shared on her Instagram, where she sported a gorgeous brown ‘do styled with loose curls and a classic side part. Her caption, “it’s good to see me, isn’t it? 🫧,” was a playful nod to one of her character Glinda’s memorable lines, subtly connecting her past role with her present self. Her longtime colorist, Francesco De Chiara, known online as “frank hair colour,” proudly reposted her photo, proclaiming, “Here she is 🥰❤️❤️,” and sharing a fan edit that declared, “from this to this… a new era has begun.”
The Glinda Blonde: A Three-Year Artistic Commitment
Ariana Grande first dyed her hair blonde in October 2022, committing fully to her role as Glinda in the two-part Wicked film. This wasn’t merely a stylistic choice; it was an integral part of her acting process, as confirmed by Frances Hannon, Wicked’s makeup and hair artist, in a 2024 interview with Harper’s Bazaar. Hannon explained that changing Grande’s hair color immediately upon her arrival in the U.K. “started her whole process,” even for rehearsals with wigs, allowing her to “always start with a feeling of being in character every day.”
Grande herself echoed this sentiment to Vogue in 2024, stating that even though she wore wigs, she “needed to be blonde, too,” to help her “find Glinda.” Her dedication extended to celebrating her “blondie versary” in October 2023, sharing throwback snaps of her mid-bleach process with foils in her hair.
While committed to the blonde, Grande’s hair journey wasn’t without subtle shifts. For the 2025 Golden Globe Awards in January, her hair colorist, Rachel Bodt, introduced a “warm, light auburn-brown base with chunky contoured highlights,” as reported by People. Additionally, in April 2025, Grande temporarily sported an auburn shade for her short film, Brighter Days Ahead, offering glimpses of her hair returning to darker tones between Wicked press cycles.
A New Chapter: Wicked Premieres and Eternal Sunshine Tour
The timing of Grande’s return to brunette is particularly significant. The first installment of Wicked premiered in November 2024, and its second installment, Wicked: For Good, is set to premiere on November 21. Her physical transformation aligns perfectly with the culmination of her dedicated portrayal of Glinda.
Beyond her cinematic endeavors, this hair change also ushers in Grande’s highly anticipated return to pop music with her Eternal Sunshine Tour. Kicking off on June 6, 2026, in Oakland, California, the tour will see Grande performing her critically acclaimed album, Eternal Sunshine. She recently expressed on the Shut Up Evan podcast her deep connection to the album and the compulsion to perform it live, viewing the tour as a “beautiful next step” to heal something and enjoy the connection with her fans.
From Pop Princess to Broadway Icon and Back Again
Throughout her career, Ariana Grande’s hair has often reflected her artistic phases. From the vibrant cherry red of her Victorious days—a shade she later distanced herself from as “very much a character”—to her signature brunette high ponytails, her hair has been an extension of her evolving identity. The Glinda blonde was a profound commitment to character, a testament to her dedication to her craft.
Now, as the blonde fades and the rich brunette returns, fans are embracing this visual rebirth as the dawn of a new era. It’s a return not just to a hair color, but perhaps to a more personal, reflective artistic space, as Grande transitions from the magical land of Oz back to the global stage, ready to share her own story through music once more.
