Ariana Grande joins Season 13 of ‘American Horror Story’ with an unexpected return included

Ariana Grande is stepping into the world of ‘American Horror Story’, which will return on Halloween 2026 with a season full of surprises.

What had long been a rumour has now been confirmed with Ryan Murphy’s trademark theatrical flair: Ariana Grande will be part of the main cast of ‘American Horror Story’ Season 13, set to premiere on Halloween 2026. The announcement was made official on 31 October via the creator’s production company’s Instagram account, accompanied by a dark, haunting atmosphere and Vera Lynn’s voice singing ‘I’ll Be Seeing You’.

The video unveiled a cast packed with franchise legends: Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, Gabourey Sidibe, Leslie Grossman — and, in a twist no one saw coming, the return of Jessica Lange, who had previously stated in 2019 that she was done with the series. The teaser closed with one of the show’s most iconic lines: “Surprise, bitch. I bet you thought you’d seen the last of me,” paying tribute to her unforgettable character, Fiona Goode.

For Grande, this will be her debut in FX’s longest-running horror saga, though not her first collaboration with Murphy: she previously shared the screen with Emma Roberts and Billie Lourd in ‘Scream Queens’ (2015), and more recently with Evan Peters in the music video for ‘We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love)’. Her addition also marks a major milestone in her acting career, following her Oscar nomination for her role as Glinda in ‘Wicked’, set for release this November.

She has also just wrapped filming ‘Focker-in-Law’, the fourth instalment of the Meet the Parents franchise, in which she stars alongside Robert De Niro, Owen Wilson, and Blythe Danner. The singer celebrated the end of filming on Instagram with an emotional message: “These past few months have been unimaginably special. I love my Fockers… I’ll miss them so much.”

And although her acting schedule shows no signs of slowing down, Ariana hasn’t left music behind: in June 2026, she’ll kick off her long-awaited Eternal Sunshine Tour — her first in seven years — where she’ll finally perform her acclaimed 2024 album live.