Ariana Grande will be on stage at Auckland's Spark Arena tonight. Photo / AP
Ariana Grande will be on stage at Auckland's Spark Arena tonight. Photo / AP
Pop princess Ariana Grande has arrived in New Zealand and sent a message to her fans.
"New Zealand, you ready for tomorrow?", she asked in a post her to her 51.5 million Instagram followers late last night, alongside a photo of her with her back to the camera as her hair is done.
The Side to Side and Into You hit maker is in New Zealand as part of her six-month Dangerous Woman world tour, and will perform at Spark Arena in Auckland tonight.
Grande has remained elusive despite some reports she touched down in the city on Thursday.
Her promoters remained mum yesterday on her movements since her most recent concert in the Chinese city of Guangzhou on Thursday.
But one Twitter user posted a photo of a private jet at Auckland Airport on Thursday , claiming Grande was on board and posting a heartfelt Kiwi welcome.
Fans have responded with both delight and curiosity, but neither Frankie Grande nor his half-sister have revealed the pint-size singer's plans ahead of tonight's concert at Spark Arena.
The arena has warned those attending the 7.30pm concert to leave their bags and cameras at home, with security measures boosted around the world since a suicide bomber targetted a Grande concert in the United Kingdom city of Manchester three months ago.
The 24-year-old's six-month world tour was suspended after 22 people died and hundreds were injured in the post-concert bombing.
Manchester police help an injured woman after fans leaving an Ariana Grande concert were the victims of a suicide bomber. File photo / Joel Goodman/LNP/REX/Shutterstock
In an apparent security move, Spark Arena issued new security measures following the Manchester terror attack.
In the days leading up to Grande's Auckland concert on Saturday, Spark Arena has been updating fans of its new security measures via its Facebook page.
No bags of any kind or size are permitted in the venue.
"There will be no coat check for you to leave your bags at so please leave all clutches, small purses, big purses, handbags, backpacks, and any bags you may have at home," they wrote.
Cameras were also banned, though phones are fine, and security checks would include security wanding and/or pat downs.
Heading to the Ariana Grande concert this Saturday? If so, please read on for a security update and check out the video below 😊 We all know that we need to arrive early on Saturday and leave all our bags (yes, even the small clutch 👛) and cameras at home. Since you guys may have a few things to carry we’ve made life easier for you and ordered in some clear zip lock bags for you to store your things in while going through our security checks (security wanding and/or pat downs) on the night. These bags will help to speed up the security process and get you all in the arena faster. The zip lock bags may look small but, as you can see in the video, we managed to fit all of our concert essentials in them📱💄🎫💵 🙌 We want everyone to be safe and have an amazing night on Saturday so please remember, arrive early ✔️ no bags ✔️ no cameras ✔️ use these fabulous little zip lock bags ✔️ and take care of each other ❤️ Let us know if you have any questions and check out our website for more info > http://bit.ly/2w9m1SN
Clear zip lock bags will be provided to help concert-goers make an easier journey through security. Fans can also bring their own, as long it's no larger than 13cm x 20cm, they wrote in response to a question on Facebook.
They have not specifically said the changes are in response to Manchester, but the arena's general policy usually permits bags and non-professional cameras into the venue.
Since the Dangerous Woman Tour resumed two weeks after the bombing, Grande has wowed audiences across Europe, Latin America and Asia, although Vietnamese fans were left disappointed when illness forced Grande to cancel her Ho Chi Minh City concert.
The former Nickelodeon child star-turned-singer appears to be back to full health, with concerts in the Chinese cities of Beijing, Shanghai and, on Thursday, Guangzhou going ahead as planned.
