If you were sad that Wicked Winter was over, just know For Good Fall is only a handful of months away. Part two of Jon Chu’s Ozian movie magic is set to debut on November 21, 2025 (so go ahead and step your countdown clocks now if you’re nasty). But it looks like the fans are getting a big green surprise before For Good’s official premiere!?! IKTR. On May 12, Jon Chu made a majorly thrillifying announcement about a historic musical event hitting broadcast TV: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, and some of their other Wicked besties, including surprise guests (!!!), are going to be gracing us with their vocals, LIVE, for an unprecedented Wicked musical TV performance. After you’re done screaming “OH SHIZ” (and apologizing to your co-workers for it), deep dive into the Wicked live musical TV special details with me.
When is the Wicked live musical special?
The concert will be filmed and aired live this fall before the November 21 release of Wicked: For Good. While NBCUniversal hasn’t dropped the exact date yet, Jon Chu did call the special “a centerpiece of [the team’s] campaign.” This means they plan to use the performance as promo ahead of the movie (not in tandem), so it would make sense if the special was filmed at least a few solid weeks before the November movie premiere. Halloween sounds kind of fitting for an Elphaba is over party, doesn’t it??
Where To Watch The Wicked Live Special
The special will air live on NBC and be available to view on demand via Peacock the next day.
Who will be in the Wicked live special?
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are, ofc, confirmed to perform live for the evening! Director Jon Chu also mentioned Ari and Cynthia “will be joined by their castmates” (like Jonathan Bailey, Marissa Bode, and Ethan Slater) and some “wonderful surprise guests.” Surprise guests like the same surprise Wicked icons who appeared in the movie (Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth), perhaps? I also have a strong suspicion that Sheryl Lee Ralph may sing a song or two, given that Michelle Yeoh (or Jeff Goldblum, for that matter) performing multiple songs live feels like a stretch. And can someone, PLS, check Peter Dinklage’s cal, too?!
What Songs Will Cynthia Erivo And Ariana Grande Perform?
Jon Chu shared that the cast “will perform live many of the songs from the first movie,” plus “a little bit from the second one as well,” which is HUGE. As a day one Wicked super fan, I can only speculate that “No One Mourns The Wicked,” “The Wizard And I,” “What Is This Feeling,” “Dancing Through Life,” “Popular,” and a mega four-part quartet of “Defying Gravity” are non-negotiables. I’d also be surprised if they skipped “I’m Not That Girl.”
As for part two picks, there’s the TBD original song Cynthia co-wrote that I assume will make the cut to get fans hyped, as well as “No Good Deed.” If they actually spoil us with “For Good,” rest assured, I’ll pass away.
Where is the Wicked TV concert being filmed?
The special is taking place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
