On Nov. 21, 2025, Jon M.. Chu’s Wicked: For Good was released in theaters. Fans rushed to theaters, ready for the long-awaited second movie of the prequel to the 2024 film Wicked. Before the movie’s release, the movie’s cast went on a world tour to promote excitement for the movie.
The cast kicked off their press tour at the beginning of November in São Paulo, Brazil. Joined by Chu, cast members Jonathan Bailey and Cynthia Erivo were in attendance for the first stop on the tour. Erivo’s co-star, Ariana Grande, was unable to attend due to flight issues. Of course, this became a big deal on the internet as one of the main characters and fan favorites was unable to attend the very first event. However, this would not be the only issue the cast experiences on tour.
The next stop on the tour was broadcasted on screens worldwide with Wicked: One Wonderful Night on NBC. The event was filmed two months prior, on Sept. 24, at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. However, it aired on Nov. 6, gaining 3.6 million viewers and becoming NBC’s second-highest-ranked special event of the year.
The NBC special included performances from Grande, Erivo, Michelle Yoeh, Jeff Goldblum, Ethan Slater, and Bowen Yang. The cast sang songs from the first Wicked movie and tracks from the upcoming sequel. Cast members were also joined by Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, the leads of the original Broadway musical version of Wicked. Other celebrities, such as Leslie Odom Jr., Ludacris, and even Shaquille O’Neal, also joined the cast as they approached the release of Wicked: For Good. This televised celebration gained much kudos online for many viral moments, like Grande bringing a four-year-old Wicked fan on stage during her performance of “Popular”. Another viral moment from the night was from the “Dancing Through Life” performance, where co-stars Yang and Slater jokingly fought over who would perform the song in place of the absence of Bailey (who plays Fiyero). Goldblum and Erivo also performed “The Wizard and I” with Erivo on vocals and Goldblum on the piano.
After the airing of the special, the cast members were off to Paris. Yeoh, Bailey, Erivo, and Grande all appeared in outfits with significance, creating fashion statements towards either their characters in the movie or nods to vintage fashion. Grande wore a vintage Givenchy Spring gown from the 1998 Couture collection, InStyle said the actress “channeled her Wicked character” with this choice. Bailey became one of the first to model Pierpaolo Piccioli’s Balenciaga menswear. Yeoh was styled in a purple Balenciaga gown and Amina Muaddi’s leather Yigit boots, making her presence more than known. Erivo appeared that evening in a “gothic lace dress” created by Givenchy designer, Sarah Burton.
The cast continued their tour of Europe with a stop in London on Nov. 10. In 2024, Erivo wore a Schiaparelli gown and coordinating hat to the London premiere of Wicked and reportedly lost the hat during the night’s events. However, this year in London, she was reunited with the hat. A fan found Erivo and the missing hat, posting her interaction with Erivo online. The video went viral on apps like TikTok and created yet another meme of Erivo, this time with her in utter shock at the sight of her long-lost hat.
As mentioned before, Grande’s only issue on this tour was not just plane troubles. In fact, the cast’s next stop in Singapore posed a threat to Grande and became yet another bump in the road during the tour. Australian influencer Johnson Wen is infamous for jumping barricades and bombarding celebrities. Wen is described as a “serial celebrity rusher,” and seems to have no issues with the title: he has said, “I’m literally the best pitch invader/streaker.” At the Singapore premiere, Wen rushed towards Grande, putting his arm around her and attempting to film himself doing so. Grande’s co-star, Erivo, shoved him off of her, and many fans online have questioned how he was able to get so close to Grande in the first place. Wen served nine days in prison and has been barred from re-entering Singapore, according to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority.
The last leg of this world tour ended in New York City at Lincoln Center. Erivo had fallen sick before Nov. 17 and had lost her voice due to filming and sickness. Because of this, she was unable to do interviews the whole night, and Grande stood by her in solidarity and chose not to participate in interviews either. Shortly after the actresses announced their planned silence for this event, Grande tested positive for COVID. Despite the bout with illness, the cast showed up in designer outfits, ready for the “green carpet”. Marissa Bode was styled in an emerald green gown and Louboutin heels inspired by Dorothy’s iconic ruby red slippers.
The tour was filled with viral moments, stunning outfits, and a little sprinkle of chaos. Regardless, the “never-ending tour” prepared the world for Wicked: For Good and the end of an era for many.
