Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo Open the 2025 Oscars With a Showstopping 'Wicked' Performance

The awards show began with a medley of songs inspired by the Best Picture-nominated film and adaptations of 'The Wizard of Oz.'

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cynthia erivo and ariana grande during the wicked opening performance at the 2025 oscars
(Image credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

We'd bet the 2025 Oscars broke a record for making the most people cry within the first five minutes of the ceremony. It undoubtedly inspired sobs from Wicked fans everywhere.

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande kicked off the 97th annual Academy Awards on Sunday, March 2, with a gorgeous performance honoring not just Wicked but also the adaptations of The Wizard of Oz that came before it.

The show began with Grande, nominated for Best Supporting Actress, singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," while standing inside a multicolored ray of light (courtesy of a screen effect). During the performance, she paid homage to the 1939 film in a glittering red gown evoking Dorothy's ruby shoes.

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ariana grande wears a red ruby dress and slippers while performing the wicked montage at the 2025 oscars

Ariana Grande performs "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" at the 2025 Oscars.

(Image credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Then Erivo, nominated for Best Actress, emerged onto the stage for a rendition of "Home," from the Broadway musical (and subsequent 1978 film) The Wiz.

The pair completed the opening performance with their highly-anticipated rendition of Wicked's showstopper "Defying Gravity," beginning with both stars before Erivo completed the majestic song solo. By the final note, there wasn't a dry eye in all of the Dolby Theatre in L.A.

Tonight's performance marked the second year in a row that Wicked was represented at the Oscars, after Erivo and Grande presented the awards for Original Song and Original Score at the March 2024 ceremony.

Wicked: Part One, released in theaters on November 22, 2024, is nominated for 10 awards total tonight, including nods for both stars, as well as Best Picture, Best Original Score, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Production Design, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound, and Best Editing.

cynthia erivo performs the wicked montage at the 2025 oscars

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande onstage at the 2024 Oscars.

(Image credit: Rich Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images)

Of course, fans know that Wicked mania is nowhere near over. The highly-anticipated second half of the epic story, Wicked: For Good, is set to come out on November 21, 2025.

While walking the red carpet, Jeff Goldblum, who portrays The Wizard in the films, teased what's to come in the second installment. "Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, Elphaba and Glinda, oh my gosh, will further thrill you and chill you and devastate you, yes." He also added of his character, "There might be some emotional complications and twists."

Quinci LeGardye
Quinci LeGardye
Culture Writer

Quinci LeGardye is a Culture Writer at Marie Claire. She currently lives in her hometown of Los Angeles after periods living in NYC and Albuquerque, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in English and Psychology from The University of New Mexico. In 2021, she joined Marie Claire as a contributor, becoming a full-time writer for the brand in 2024. She contributes day-to-day-content covering television, movies, books, and pop culture in general. She has also written features, profiles, recaps, personal essays, and cultural criticism for outlets including Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, HuffPost, Teen Vogue, Vulture, The A.V. Club, Catapult, and others. When she isn't writing or checking Twitter way too often, you can find her watching the latest K-drama, or giving a concert performance in her car.