Ariana Grande’s tumultuous world tour rolls on after inspired performance in Manila

August 27, 2017 - 8:55 AM
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Ariana Grande performs at the Mall of Asia Arena on August 21, 2017. (Photo courtesy of Smart Music Live)

Ariana Grande has made a lot of headlines in what is turning out to be a tumultuous world tour.

Last May, the American pop star was devastated after learning about a suicide bombing that took place shortly after the Manchester Arena leg of her “Dangerous Woman” tour ended resulted in 23 deaths and 59 injuries. As a result, subsequent dates in Europe were cancelled.

The tour resumed after Ariana organized the “One Love Manchester” benefit concert where various artists also performed. The ongoing Asian leg of her tour was not without a hitch as she reportedly rubbed Korean fans the wrong way.

Here in Manila where she performed last August 21, extra precaution was implemented. Only small, transparent bags were allowed inside the Mall of Asia Arena. Despite repeated advisories on prohibited items inside the venue, thousands apparently did not heed the call and were forced to deposit their belongings and had to wait for hours to retrieve them after the concert.

As for Ariana herself, she revealed that she was not feeling well during her two-hour show but to her credit, she still delivered a dazzling performance. “Thank you, guys! I’m really sick today but you guys made me feel so much better! Mahal kita!,” she said to hordes of screaming fans at the arena.

While she would later credit her Filipino fans for giving her “so much life whenever she’s under the weather,” Ariana would subsequently cancel her Vietnam date due to “health problems” before pushing through with her Beijing concert Saturday night.

Here are some highlights from the Manila leg of Ariana Grande’s “Dangerous Woman” tour as sponsored by Smart Music Live.