Ariana Grande and Ricky Alvarez Spotted in Austin, Texas
Sighting confirmed by People magazine · Austin, Texas, June 26 · Eternal Sunshine Tour stop the same day
Ariana Grande and former boyfriend Ricky Alvarez grabbed lunch together in Austin, Texas, on June 26, 2026 — hours before Grande performed an Eternal Sunshine Tour date in the same city. People magazine confirmed the sighting and reported a source saying the two “have been hanging out recently.” Neither Grande nor Alvarez has commented publicly.
The lunch came exactly 18 days after Page Six reported Grande’s split from actor Ethan Slater on June 8. Alvarez and Grande dated from 2015 to 2016. Speculation about a reconciliation circulated quickly on social media following People’s report, though no source cited by the publication made that claim directly.
Ariana Grande and Ricky Alvarez — The 2015 Billboard Reveal
Grande and Alvarez dated for approximately one year, from 2015 through July 2016. Alvarez worked as a backup dancer for Grande during that period. Grande confirmed the relationship to Billboard in May 2016. “We’re happy,” she told the publication. “I’m a very happy girl. I have a healthy life right now, and I think that’s all anyone cares to know,” she added.
The relationship ended quietly in mid-2016. Grande moved into a brief, high-profile relationship with rapper Mac Miller, who died on September 7, 2018, from an accidental drug overdose. She later became engaged to comedian Pete Davidson in 2018, married real estate agent Dalton Gomez in 2021, and divorced in 2023.
Grande met Ethan Slater on the Wicked set in 2023. Their relationship became public the same year.
Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater — Page Six’s June Report
Page Six broke the Ethan Slater split story on June 8, 2026, citing an anonymous source. “Ariana and Ethan broke up several months ago but they’ve remained friends since then and have nothing but respect and admiration for one another,” the source said. A second source added: “This wasn’t a decision they took lightly but realized they were better off friends than in a committed relationship.”
Grande and Slater met during production of Wicked, the Universal Pictures film directed by Jon M. Chu. Grande played Glinda; Cynthia Erivo played Elphaba. The film opened in November 2024. Neither Grande nor Slater has issued a statement.
E! News separately reported that Grande was described by sources as “feeling really happy and focused on the next chapter” — specifically, the Eternal Sunshine Tour and the upcoming release of her eighth studio album, Petal, on July 31, 2026, on Republic Records.
Ariana Grande’s Austin Tour Stop — A Birthday on Stage
Grande performed her Eternal Sunshine Tour date in Austin, Texas, on June 26 — her 33rd birthday. The Eternal Sunshine Tour launched June 17, 2026, in Oakland, California. Friends including Demi Lovato, Liz Gillies, and Matt Bennett have attended multiple stops. Joan Grande and Frankie Grande, her mother and brother, have also appeared at several shows.
The tour supports Eternal Sunshine, Grande’s seventh studio album, released March 8, 2024, on Republic Records. The album includes “we can’t be friends (wait for your love),” which charted on the Billboard Hot 100. The Eternal Sunshine Tour marks Grande’s return to live performance after seven years — her last headline run was the Sweetener World Tour in 2019.
Austin sits near the midpoint of the North American leg. European dates follow later in 2026.
Ariana Grande and Ricky Alvarez — People’s Single Source
People magazine’s reporting on the Austin lunch was grounded in a single unnamed source. No outlet has confirmed a romantic reunion. The two have shared mutual connections through the entertainment and touring industry for over a decade. A shared meal between former partners who parted on apparently civil terms is not, by itself, confirmation of a reconciliation.
Grande’s team has not responded to media requests about the sighting. Alvarez has not posted publicly about the meeting. The most verifiable fact on record is that People placed them in the same restaurant in Austin on June 26, citing one source.
That said, the timing drew immediate attention. Grande turned 33 on June 26. Her Eternal Sunshine Tour played Austin that evening. Her new album Petal, on Republic Records, drops July 31. A sighting the same day produced significantly more coverage than it would have on a quieter week.
Ariana Grande’s Relationship Timeline — 2015 to 2026
- 2015–2016: Ricky Alvarez — dated approximately one year; Grande confirmed the relationship to Billboard in May 2016
- 2016–2018: Mac Miller — relationship ended in 2018; Miller died September 7, 2018
- 2018: Pete Davidson — engagement announced summer 2018; ended autumn 2018
- 2021–2023: Dalton Gomez — married May 2021; divorced 2023
- 2023–2026: Ethan Slater — relationship began 2023; split confirmed June 8, 2026, per Page Six
Ariana Grande’s Petal and Wicked: For Good — Up Next
Grande releases Petal, her eighth studio album, on Republic Records on July 31, 2026. The lead single, “Hate That I Made You Love Me,” is currently the only confirmed track. The Eternal Sunshine Tour continues through North America and Europe. Grande also has Wicked: For Good in production for Universal Pictures, alongside Cynthia Erivo and director Jon M. Chu.
She also joins the upcoming season of American Horror Story on FX and stars in the comedy Focker-in-Law. No confirmed premiere dates exist for either project at publication time.
Grande’s 2026 schedule represents the densest professional run of her career. The Ricky Alvarez story broke during its opening weeks. Whatever that lunch was, it competed for attention with a stadium tour, an album release 35 days away, a franchise sequel in production, and a television credit. Context matters.