Ariana Grande sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and Cynthia Erivo sang Diana Ross' “Home” to kick off the 97th Academy Awards in a tribute to Los Angeles following wildfires that devastated the Southern California metropolis.

The montage paid tribute to the strength and community shown by those living in LA following the devastating wildfires that gripped the county in January. Ariana Grande, who was nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category for her role as Glinda The Good Witch in the blockbuster adaptation of The Wizard of Oz prequel Wicked,

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande opened the 2025 Oscars with an epic performance medley of three songs across "The Wizard of Oz" universe. Grande, clad in a sparkling red gown, began the set with a powerful rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," wowing the crowd as she emerged from a cloud of smoke with a night sky background.

Wicked, a fan favourite at the Oscars, may have only won two of the 10 awards it was nominated for, but there was ‘Unlimited’ love in the room for the movie’s star sopranos and their wickedly skilful duet.

Ariana Grande had a "Wicked" reunion with Cynthia Erivo during her opening performance at the 2025 Oscars on Sunday night.

One perceptive fan reacted to the song choices: "Ariana Grande's ode to The Wizard of Oz with 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow', Cynthia Erivo's ode to The Wiz with 'Home' and ending it with 'Defying Gravity' from Wicked. Ohhhhhh I'm crying."

After tonight, we’re all going to be holding space for Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s 2025 Oscars performance.

Ariana Grande's Oz-themed 'Wicked' performance at the 2025 Oscars has a special meaning, harkening back to one of the defining moments of her career.

I did not expect to have such an out-of-body experience while watching Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande perform at the 2025 Oscars, but here we are! The two opened the show with an emotional performance paying tribute to their film Wicked, which is nominated for Best Picture.

Ariana Grande sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and Cynthia Erivo sang Diana Ross’ “Home” to kickoff the 97th Academy Awards in a tribute to Los Angeles following wildfires that devastated

Ariana Grande sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and Cynthia Erivo sang Diana Ross’ “Home” to kickoff the 97th Academy Awards in a tribute to Los Angeles following wildfires that devastated

There's no place like the Oscars for Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo ... captivated with a soaring rendition of Diana Ross' "Home," taken from "The Wizard of Oz" adaptation "The Wiz."