Ariana Grande Greets Fans in Paris as ‘Wicked’ Train Arrives in Paris in Promo With NBC Olympics

Paris might be hosting the Olympics this year, but so is Oz. Ahead of the 2024 Games, Wicked has unveiled a thrillifying new partnership with NBC Olympics — which is broadcasting the summer games — while leading lady Ariana Grande has arrived in the city just in time.

As unveiled on social media Thursday (July 25) — just one day before the Opening Ceremony — the whimsical emerald train featured in the Wicked trailer is cruising down tracks located right in front of the Eiffel Tower. “First stop on the way to Emerald City: the Paris Olympics!” reads a caption on a video showing the city’s new transport. The clip was also shared by NBC Olympics on its Instagram account.

In a recent behind-the-scenes look at how filmmakers brought the Wicked sets to life, director Jon M. Chu reveals that the train weighs 16 tons and took two days to arrive to set because of its size.

At the same time, Grande is in Paris promoting her R.E.M. Beauty line at Sephora’s Champs-Élysées location. The pop star posed for pictures with fans and checked out her brand’s in-store display. She also reposted a video of the Wicked train barreling through Paris on her Story, simply writing, “Bonjour.”

Grande certainly isn’t the only star in Paris ahead of the Olympics, with her “Rain on Me” collaborator Lady Gaga as well as Celine Dion both arriving in the host city earlier this week. Fans are convinced that the latter two artists are planning a surprise performance for the opening ceremony. (Billboard previously reached out to reps for Gaga and Dion, as well as the Olympics for comment.)

The Games come about four months ahead of the first Wicked film’s premiere, which Universal Pictures recently announced is coming one week earlier than originally scheduled. Cynthia Erivo stars opposite Grande, with Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh and Ethan Slater fleshing out the cast.

See the Wicked train come to life in Paris below.