She Told the White House to Back Off. Then She Played LA.

Ariana Grande played Crypto.com Arena last night — the first of five LA nights on the Eternal Sunshine Tour. Twenty-four hours earlier, she'd publicly told the White House "do not ever use my music" and launched a foundation for immigrants, LGBTQ+ communities, and people in crisis. The crowd at Crypto.com knew all of it.

The Eternal Sunshine Tour touched down in Los Angeles on Saturday night — Crypto.com Arena, sold out, doors at 6:30 PM. It was show number four of the run, following three nights at Oakland Arena, and the first of five LA dates before the tour moves on to Kia Forum in Inglewood on June 17. 1

The set structure fans saw in Oakland holds for LA: five acts, roughly 20 songs, a 1h 45m runtime. Act I opens with an extended "yes, and?" — a deliberate choice that plays as a statement after the week she's had. The setlist pulls across every era, from "Honeymoon Avenue" (original version, shortened) to "hate that i made you love me," the track from her forthcoming petal album that got its live debut at Oakland Night 2 on June 9. 2

The emotional centerpiece is Act III: "imperfect for you," into "warm," into "safety net," into a full "One Last Time" — her first live performance of that song in seven years, debuted at Oakland's opening night on June 6. By the time she gets to "Rain on Me" (covered from Lady Gaga, with an extended intro), the arena has been screaming for 90 minutes straight.

You can't cover the LA opener without the week that preceded it. On Thursday, June 12, the White House's official TikTok account posted a video compilation of ICE agents detaining immigrants — set to Grande's 2024 track "Bye," captioned "President Trump has delivered the most secure border in history." 3

Grande commented directly on the video: "Please do not ever use my music in relation to this barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense." Her team confirmed the comment was hers and immediately moved to have the audio removed. The track was muted within hours; the video came down entirely. The White House responded: "We'll say this one last time: what's actually barbaric, inhumane, and heinous are the criminal illegal aliens who have injured and murdered innocent American citizens." 4

The next day — Friday, June 12, the night before the LA show — she announced the Brighter Days Ahead Foundation. Four funds: Protect & Defend (LGBTQ+ rights, civil rights, reproductive justice — grantees include The Trans Youth Emergency Project and Defending Our Neighbours Fund); Heal & Dream (mental health access, grantees include Backline and Trans Lifeline); Seen & Celebrated (LGBTQ+ storytelling, grantees include Gender Liberation Movement and TransLash Media); and an Emergency Support Fund for urgent community response. Donations are open via the foundation's website; proceeds from a branded black hoodie also go directly to the funds. 5

"I am beyond excited to finally announce the Brighter Days Ahead Foundation," she said in a press release. "Our mission is to support, protect, and provide resources for our vulnerable friends in need."

She's not new to this — Grande wore an "ICE OUT" pin at the 2026 Golden Globes in January, months before any of this week's confrontation. The foundation formalizes what she'd been doing quietly for years. 5

Night 2 at Crypto.com is tonight — June 14 — and Night 3 follows Monday. The LA run continues at Kia Forum Inglewood on June 17, 19, and 20. She's also debuting material from petal (out July 3) on tour, which means each remaining night is potentially another first-ever live performance window. 7

The Eternal Sunshine Tour runs 41 dates through September 2026. LA just started.