Katy Perry experienced a terrifying moment during her LifeTimes Tour performance in San Francisco on July 18, when a malfunction with one of her flying props left her dangling mid-air over the audience.
The singer, 40, was sitting on a butterfly prop during her performance of “Roar” at the Chase Center when the malfunction occurred, causing the prop to tilt dangerously and nearly drop her into the crowd.
A Heart-Stopping Malfunction
In a clip shared on X, fans can see Perry singing her hit song “Roar” while perched on the butterfly prop, which is flying high above the audience. Suddenly, the prop begins to tilt and slightly drop, causing Perry to slip from her seat. The crowd below gasps in horror as Perry pauses mid-lyric, visibly shaken by the unexpected movement.
As the prop continues to sway, Perry quickly clings to it, looking up at the wires and down at the audience. She raises her hand, signaling that she is okay before resuming her performance.
Although visibly scared, Perry composed herself and carried on with the show, singing the lyrics, “And you’re going to hear me roar / Louder than a lion…”
Fans Share the Scary Moment
Videos of the incident quickly spread on social media, with fans expressing concern for the singer’s safety. In another video posted to TikTok, the prop eventually starts moving again, and Perry continues her performance as if nothing had happened, though the intensity of the moment was clearly not lost on the audience.
Perry later took to Instagram Stories to share a blurry, close-up photo of her reaction to the malfunction, with the caption “Good Night San Fran.” This post indicated that she had come through the scary moment unscathed, but it was clear that the incident had shaken her.
A History of Malfunctions
This isn’t the first time Perry has dealt with a prop malfunction during her LifeTimes Tour. On June 29, while performing in Australia, she experienced another mishap involving a metallic sphere. In fan footage shared on X, Perry can be seen preparing to be lifted above the crowd in the sphere.
After the prop started to rise, it tilted to one side, causing Perry to lose her footing. Thankfully, she regained her balance by holding onto the cables attached to the sphere, while handlers quickly rushed to lower the prop and bring her to safety.
The Trend of Mid-Air Mishaps
Perry’s prop malfunction follows a similar incident with fellow artist Beyoncé, who was also left dangling mid-air during her performance at her Cowboy Carter show in Houston. These incidents highlight the risks that come with aerial performances, where technical issues can quickly turn into scary moments for both performers and fans.
Upcoming Tour Dates
Despite the technical glitches, Perry’s LifeTimes Tour is continuing successfully. She kicked off the world tour on April 23 to promote her album 143 and has since performed across the U.S. and internationally.
The tour will next stop in Seattle on July 21, before heading to Canada, Europe, and South America before concluding on December 7.
