Katy Perry Nearly Falls Off Flying Butterfly Prop Due to Mid-Air Malfunction at SF Concert

Katy Perry experienced a frightening moment during her San Francisco stop on the Lifetimes Tour.

While performing at the Chase Center on Friday (July 18), the 40-year-old pop superstar was seated on a flying butterfly prop when it malfunctioned mid-air, nearly sending her plunging into the crowd below.

In fan-captured video shared on X, Perry is seen singing her 2013 Billboard Hot 100-topping hit “Roar” while soaring above the audience. Mid-performance, the prop suddenly jerks downward after slipping from its wire, causing a sharp drop that nearly unseats her.

Visibly startled, Perry immediately stopped singing and clutched the winged prop to regain her balance as it swayed in the air. Once the butterfly steadied and she regained her composure, she resumed the song and finished the performance strong.

After the show, Perry took to social media to react to the mid-air mishap. “Goodnight San Fran,” she wrote on her Instagram Story, alongside a screen-grab of her terrified expression during the drop.

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This isn’t the “Firework” hitmaker’s first onstage technical issue. During a Lifetimes Tour stop in Australia in late June, a similar malfunction occurred when a flying sphere she was riding began to tilt mid-performance, forcing her to grab onto the support cables for stability, according to People.

Perry isn’t the only artist to deal with high-flying prop malfunctions recently. Beyoncé also experienced a scare during her Cowboy Carter show in Houston in late June. During a performance of “16 Carriages,” the “Texas Hold ’Em” singer’s suspended car stalled and tilted above the audience at NRG Stadium, causing a brief delay in the show.

Perry is currently touring in support of her latest album, 143, which reached No. 6 on the Billboard 200. Her next show is scheduled for Monday (July 21) in Seattle, followed by shows in Canada, Europe and South America. The trek, which launched in late April, is set to wrap in early December.

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