Katy Perry narrowly avoids disaster as flying stage malfunctions

Pop superstar Katy Perry gave her fans quite a scare during her The Lifetimes Tour stop in San Francisco, when a dramatic technical malfunction struck mid-air during her performance of Roar.

The 40-year-old singer had taken to the sky on a suspended butterfly-shaped prop, soaring above the crowd at the Chase Center. Dressed in a shimmering crop top and glittery shorts, she initially appeared confident as she belted out one of her biggest hits. But moments later, the mechanical platform unexpectedly lurched downward, visibly shaking and losing stability.

Perry, clearly alarmed, gripped the structure tightly as she stopped singing to regain her balance. Despite the heart-stopping moment, she quickly composed herself and continued the performance—earning praise for her professionalism and calm under pressure.

The following day, Perry addressed the incident on Instagram with humor. Sharing a carousel of photos and videos, she juxtaposed a relaxed pre-show bathtub photo with behind-the-scenes footage of the platform malfunction and a clip of herself leaving the venue in a bathrobe, looking rattled. “How the LA show started ➡️ how the LA show ended,” she captioned the post, poking fun at the ordeal.

The incident quickly went viral online, with fans comparing it to a recent close call experienced by Beyoncé during her Cowboy Carter tour. Social media was flooded with reactions: “First Beyoncé, now Katy Perry. Who’s next—Usher being launched into orbit?” quipped one fan. Another added, “The fact that Katy stayed composed and finished the show is unreal. She’s truly one of the best performers of our generation.”

During the same concert, Perry alluded to personal struggles, including her breakup with actor Orlando Bloom. Before performing her emotional ballad Not Like the Movies, she told fans, “This is a song I wrote in my twenties… after my first divorce. I’ll try to hold my composure while I sing it a week before my period.”

Despite the mid-air scare, Katy Perry’s ability to laugh at herself, power through the show, and maintain a strong connection with her audience proves once again why she remains one of pop music’s most admired and enduring stars.