Katy Perry’s Midair Scare: Survives Butterfly Prop Malfunction on Lifetimes Tour
By Quinn Parker
Holy moly, I have thoughts spilling faster than my morning coffee, because last night on July 18 at San Francisco’s Chase Center, Katy Perry nearly plunged off a giant flying butterfly during her Lifetimes tour. Video footage shared on X the next day shows the “Roar” singer abruptly halting her performance when the elaborate butterfly prop, suspended high above the crowd, dipped several feet as its wiring shifted. With her heart in her throat and fans gasping below, Katy clung to the body of the butterfly for dear life while it swung wildly.
Within seconds the contraption steadied, and the 40-year-old superstar flashed a reassuring wave before nailing the rest of her hit number. Hours later, she took to her Instagram Stories and posted a zoomed-in snapshot of her petrified wide-eyed expression, captioned “Goodnight San Fran.” This isn’t Perry’s first rodeo with stage equipment gone rogue. Last month in Australia, she was hoisted above the audience in a polished metallic sphere when it tilted on one side, forcing her to grip cables to avoid a fall (video also shared to X). And those who remember her American Idol judge days know she’s no stranger to on-camera wardrobe and tech mishaps. After her top split mid-episode last April, she quipped to E! News, “It seems like every season something falls off, breaks, tears and the people love it,” adding with a grin, “I have nothing to lose besides my top.”
Concert stunts can be thrilling, but they carry real risks. Beyoncé faced a similar airborne glitch in June at Houston’s NRG Stadium when her suspended car tilted during “16 Carriages,” prompting her to shout “Stop, stop, stop” into her mic until she was safely lowered (TikTok). Moments later she joked, “If ever I fall, I know y’all would catch me.” Perry’s latest misadventure underscores why performers train for every eventuality—and why fans gravitate toward live shows where anything can happen.
Backstage insiders tell E! Online that crew members performed a full safety check on the butterfly rig immediately after the scare. Rehearsals will now include additional wiring reinforcements before the tour resumes in Los Angeles this week. Meanwhile, Perry continues to juggle life on the road with co-parenting her 4-year-old daughter Daisy Dove, shared with estranged husband Orlando Bloom.
Between grand visuals, chart-topping anthems, and unavoidable hiccups, Katy Perry proves she can weather any storm, even one hanging perilously overhead. Wow, I need a breather after that!
Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! Online, E! News, TikTok, Instagram
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
