Katy Perry suffered a near-disastrous mechanical malfunction while flying above the crowd during her show in San Francisco.
The American pop star was riding a giant butterfly prop while performing her hit “Roar” on Saturday night when it plunged several feet and stopped on its path, leaving her visibly shocked.
After briefly collecting herself, Perry launched back into the song’s chorus while swaying on the prop. The rest of the performance continued incident-free.
She even joked about it in an Instagram post after the show, sharing a screen-grab of a close-up of her face the exact moment the butterfly dropped, Perry quipped: “Goodnight San Fran.”
@katyperrycrave I love that she kept singing #katyperry #roar #lifetimes ♬ suono originale – katy crave 🦋
The mishap follows a similar mechanical failure suffered by Beyoncé in late June, when her flying car prop tilted and stalled above the crowd in Houston during “16 Carriages.” That incident led to the song’s temporary removal from her setlist until the car was replaced with a horse.
This marks the second technical issue for Perry during her Lifetimes Tour, which has been filled with unexpected moments. During the Australian leg, a flying sphere she rides began tilting mid-performance, forcing her to cling to the suspension cables.
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In Sydney on June 9, Perry was interrupted by a man who allegedly rushed the stage. Fan-filmed video shows her, dressed in yellow and holding a black electric guitar, visibly surprised as the man approaches from stage left.
In the clip, Perry backs away, takes a sip from a water bottle and can be heard telling the crowd, “There’s never going to be another show like this so just enjoy it, Sydney.”
A spokesman for the NSW Police Force confirmed to Rolling Stone AU/NZ that a man jumped on stage, was detained by security, arrested by police, and taken to Auburn Police Station. He was charged with the obstruction of a person in performance of work or duties, and unlawful entry into “inclosed lands”, which constitutes trespassing.
He was granted conditional bail at Burwood Local Court on June 23rd and handed a six-month banning notice from the grounds of the Sydney Olympic Park precinct.
