American pop star Katy Perry had a close call during her Lifetimes Tour performance in San Francisco on Friday night, when a flying stage prop malfunctioned mid-air.
The incident occurred at the Chase Center on 18 July, while the 40-year-old singer was performing her 2013 hit “Roar.” As part of the show, Perry was seated on a butterfly-shaped prop suspended above the crowd. But as she soared over the audience, the rigging appeared to fail briefly—causing the butterfly to jolt suddenly and nearly throw her off balance.
Fan-shot footage, which quickly spread across social media platform X (formerly Twitter), showed the moment Perry clutched the structure to regain control. Her expression turned visibly alarmed as the mechanism wobbled. Despite the scare, she quickly recovered and continued singing, finishing the performance to applause.
Following the concert, Perry addressed the incident via Instagram Stories. Posting a screenshot of the moment she lost control, she wrote simply: “Goodnight, San Francisco,” adding a nervous emoji.
This is not the first technical hiccup of the Lifetimes Tour. During a late-June stop in Australia, Perry experienced a similar mishap when a flying sphere she was performing on began to tilt unexpectedly, forcing her to cling to support cables mid-song.
Technical challenges with aerial props seem to be plaguing more than just Perry’s tour. Beyoncé faced a comparable situation at her Cowboy Carter tour show in Houston in late June, when a suspended car prop stalled and tilted above fans at NRG Stadium. That performance was briefly paused while crews stabilized the rig.
Despite the risks, flying stage effects remain a staple of high-concept arena tours. Fans have praised Perry’s professionalism and calm in the face of danger, with many taking to social media to commend her poise. “She handled that like a queen,” wrote one fan on X. “True performer.”
Perry is currently promoting her latest album, 143, which debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200. Her next show is scheduled for Monday, 21 July in Seattle. The Lifetimes Tour will then continue across Canada, Europe, and South America, wrapping up in December.
While neither Perry nor tour organizers have confirmed whether the malfunction will result in changes to the show’s staging, safety concerns are likely to be reviewed. For now, fans remain eager to see the pop icon perform, albeit hopefully with both feet firmly on the ground.
