{{short description|2018 concert series by Ariana Grande}} {{Infobox concert |concert_tour_name=The Sweetener Sessions |image=File:The Sweetener Sessions.jpg |image_size=220 |landscape= |alt= |caption=Promotional poster |artist=[[Ariana Grande]] |location={{Flatlist| * North America * Europe }} |type=Promotional |album=''[[Sweetener (album)|Sweetener]]'' |start_date={{Start date|2018|8|20}} |end_date={{End date|2018|9|4}} |number_of_legs=2 |number_of_shows=4 |last_tour=[[Dangerous Woman Tour]] <br/> (2017) |this_tour='''The Sweetener Sessions''' <br/> (2018) |next_tour=[[Sweetener World Tour]] <br/> (2019) |next_year= |misc=}} '''The Sweetener Sessions''' (officially '''American Express x Ariana Grande: The Sweetener Sessions''' in the United States, and '''Capital Up Close Presents Ariana Grande''' in the United Kingdom) was a brief four-show promotional tour by American singer [[Ariana Grande]], in support of her fourth studio album ''[[Sweetener (album)|Sweetener]]'' (2018). Carried out over the 18 days following the release of the album, it began on August 20, 2018, in [[New York City]], United States and ended on September 4, in [[London]], England. It was followed by her 100-show [[Sweetener World Tour]] in 2019.
==Background== Three performances took place at New York City's [[Irving Plaza]], [[The Vic Theatre]] in Chicago, and Los Angeles' Ace Theater between August 20 and 25, 2018, following the release of her studio album ''[[Sweetener (album)|Sweetener]]''.{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}
Tickets for the intimate shows were made available exclusively to [[American Express]] cardholders.<ref name="Thompson">{{cite magazine |last1=Thompson |first1=Rita |title=Ariana Grande Announces Intimate 'Sweetener Sessions' in New York City, Los Angeles & Chicago |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=August 8, 2018 |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/ariana-grande-sweetener-sessions/ |access-date=August 9, 2018}}</ref>
The New York City concert occurred after her appearance at the [[2018 MTV Video Music Awards]], where she performed "[[God Is a Woman]]".<ref name="Legaspi">{{cite magazine |last1=Legaspi |first1=Althea |title=Ariana Grande Details Intimate 'Sweetener Sessions' Concerts |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=August 8, 2018 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/ariana-grande-details-intimate-sweetener-sessions-concerts-708392/ |accessdate=August 9, 2018 |archive-date=August 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180809063441/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/ariana-grande-details-intimate-sweetener-sessions-concerts-708392/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
On August 28, 2018, a London concert was announced in partnership with [[Capital (radio network)|Capital Up Close]]. Tickets to the show were not available for purchase, instead Capital listeners could win tickets in competition rounds.<ref name="London">{{cite web|url=https://www.capitalfm.com/artists/ariana-grande/up-close-intimate-gig-tickets-2018-london/|title=Capital Up Close Presents Ariana Grande - The Only Way In Is To Win!|date=August 28, 2018|accessdate=August 28, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/ariana-grande-returns-uk-intimate-londonshow-2374382|title=Ariana Grande returns to the UK for intimate London show|work=[[NME]]|date=5 September 2018 |accessdate=September 5, 2018}}</ref>
== Set lists == ===August 20, 2018=== {{div col}} # "[[Breathin|Breathin']]" # "[[R.E.M (song)|R.E.M]]" # "Better Off" # "[[Sweetener (song)|Sweetener]]" # "Successful" # "[[Pete Davidson (song)|Pete Davidson]]" # "Borderline" # "[[Everytime (Ariana Grande song)|Everytime]]" # "[[Goodnight and Go#Ariana Grande version|Goodnight n Go]]" # "[[God Is a Woman]]" # "[[Get Well Soon (song)|Get Well Soon]]" # "[[No Tears Left to Cry]]" # "Raindrops (An Angel Cried)" {{end div col}}
===August 22, 2018=== {{div col}} # "Raindrops (An Angel Cried)" # "Blazed" # "Goodnight n Go" # "Honeymoon Avenue" (original version) # "Everytime" # "Sweetener" # "Successful" # "Pete Davidson" # "Better Off" # "Breathin'" # "God Is a Woman" # "R.E.M" # "Get Well Soon" # "No Tears Left to Cry" # "[[Be Alright (Ariana Grande song)|Be Alright]]" (a cappella) # "[[Right There (Ariana Grande song)|Right There]]" (a cappella) # "Tattooed Heart" (a cappella) # "Be My Baby" (a cappella) # "[[Best Mistake]]" (a cappella) # "Break Your Heart Right Back" (a cappella) # "[[One Last Time (Ariana Grande song)|One Last Time]]" (a cappella) {{end div col}}
===August 25, 2018=== {{div col}} # "Breathin'" # "Only 1" # "Sweetener" # "Successful" # "Blazed" # "Goodnight n Go" # "Be My Baby" (a cappella) # "Everytime" # "R.E.M" # "Borderline" # "Better Off" # "Pete Davidson" # "God Is a Woman" # "No Tears Left to Cry" # "Get Well Soon" # "Raindrops (An Angel Cried)" {{end div col}}
===September 4, 2018=== {{div col}} # "Raindrops (An Angel Cried)" # "Blazed" # "R.E.M" # "God Is a Woman" # "Better Off" # "Everytime" # "Goodnight n Go" # "Sweetener" # "Successful" # "Pete Davidson" # "Honeymoon Avenue" (original version) # "You'll Never Know" (a cappella) # "Borderline" # "No Tears Left to Cry" # "Tattooed Heart" (a cappella) # "Get Well Soon" # "Breathin" # "One Last Time" (a cappella) # "Best Mistake" (a cappella) # "Why Try" (a cappella) # "Right There" (a cappella) {{end div col}}
== Shows == {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |+ List of concerts, showing date, city, country and venue. |- ! scope="col" style="width:12em;"| Date (2018) ! scope="col" style="width:10em;"| City ! scope="col" style="width:10em;"| Country ! scope="col" style="width:17em;"| Venue |- ! colspan="4" | North America<ref name=Thompson/> |- | August 20 | [[New York City]]<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/ariana-grande-post-vmas-concert-nyc-recap-8471419/|title=The Best Moments From Ariana Grande's Post-VMAs Concert For 1,000 Fans in NYC|magazine=Billboard|access-date=2018-11-01}}</ref> | rowspan="3" |{{US}} | [[Irving Plaza]] |- 8,000,000 | August 22 | [[Chicago]] | [[The Vic Theatre]] |- 7,000,000 | August 25 | [[Los Angeles]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-ariana-grande-fan-experience-20180827-story.html|title=Ariana Grande celebrates her No. 1 album with an intimate fan show - Los Angeles Times|last=Kennedy|first=Gerrick D.|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=27 August 2018 |access-date=2018-11-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2018/music/news/ariana-grande-sweetener-sessions-1202917136/|title=Ariana Grande Performs New Songs for Fans in Intimate 'Sweetener Sessions' L.A. Show|last=Stedman|first=Alex|date=2018-08-26|work=Variety|access-date=2018-11-01|language=en-US}}</ref> | [[Ace Hotel Los Angeles|The Theatre at Ace Hotel]] |- ! colspan="4" | Europe<ref name="London"/> |- 4,000,000 | September 4 | [[London]]<ref name="Guardian">{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/sep/05/ariana-grande-review-koko-london|title=Ariana Grande review – intimate comeback is a frothy family affair|last=Sullivan|first=Caroline|date=2018-09-05|website=the Guardian|language=en|access-date=2018-11-01}}</ref> | {{ENG}} | [[KOKO (music venue)|KOKO]] |- 5,000,000 |}
==Reception== ''[[The Guardian]]''{{'}}s Caroline Sullivan rated the London show four out of five stars.<ref name="Guardian"/>
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Ariana Grande}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sweetener Sessions, The}} [[Category:2018 concert tours]] [[Category:Ariana Grande concert tours]] [[Category:August 2018 in the United States]] [[Category:September 2018 in the United Kingdom]]