Ariana Grande Hosts & Stevie Nicks Performs for the First Time in 41 Years on 'SNL'

Kathryn Milewski -

This past weekend's episode of Saturday Night Live was a very musical one. Pop icon Ariana Grande hosted, while rock legend Stevie Nicks served as the musical guest.

Grande's hosting stint comes mere months after she was the musical guest on SNL earlier this spring (March 2024). She starred in the majority of the evening’s sketches and impersonated Celine Dion in a sports promo, Jennifer Coolidge talking in the mirror, an over-competitive mother playing charades, and more.

Grande's appearance on the show was ultimately due to her casting in the upcoming film adaptation of the Broadway musical, Wicked. During her opening monologue, Grande discussed her casting as Glinda the Good Witch and poked fun at her ability to impersonate other singers, change keys while singing, and diva it up. SNL cast member Bowen Yang also appeared in her monologue wearing the iconic Glinda dress.

It was Grande's second time hosting Saturday Night Live, after a 2016 episode where she pulled double duty as the host and musical guest. She also made her debut as a musical guest back in 2014.

As for Stevie Nicks, it was a triumphant return for the songstress after 41 years away from the SNL stage. Her first and only other performance on the sketch comedy show happened back in 1983, when she came as a solo artist. (Fleetwood Mac never played Saturday Night Live.) Nicks used her time on SNL to perform her new song, "The Lighthouse." It's her first original song since 2020’s “Show Them the Way” and her 2014 album 24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault. For her second song, Nicks broke out her classic 1981 hit "Edge of Seventeen," much to the audience's delight.

In other Ariana Grande news: the former artist released Eternal Sunshine—her Positions follow-up—earlier this year. It includes the songs “Yes, And?” and “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love),” as well as the post-release single “The Boy Is Mine.” That latter recently track got a remix with Brandy and Monica.

Saturday Night Live is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Next week's episode will feature Michael Keaton as host and Billie Eilish as the musical guest. You can tune in next Saturday, October 19, at 11:30pm ET on NBC.

See clips of Ariana Grande and Stevie Nicks on SNL below.

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Article Image: Ariana Grande at the Academy Awards in 2024, Stevie Nicks on the red carpet of a movie premiere in 2012. (PopularImages and s_bukley via DepositPhotos)