Katy Perry nearly falls into crowd as tour prop malfunctions in terrifying moment

Katy Perry faced a harrowing moment mid-performance this week when a levitating butterfly prop malfunctioned during her Lifetimes Tour.

The tech issue caused the singer to dangerously lurch mid-air in front of thousands of fans, many of whom shared video of the moment online.

The incident unfolded during her San Francisco show, part of the global tour celebrating her sixth studio album 143.

As Perry soared above the crowd on a winged contraption during her hit Roar, the set piece suddenly dipped without warning, jostling the pop icon as she clung on for stability.

Despite the abrupt drop, Perry managed to regain her composure and continued singing, a moment that drew stunned cheers from the audience.

Fan-captured footage of the scare quickly flooded social media.

‘I’m sorry that’s actually so scary, when will artists learn to not use these types of props,’ @mayhembygaga wrote on X, drawing comparisons to a similar mishap involving Beyoncé earlier this summer.

X user @hard_tingz wrote ‘That looks so scary’ while @akhterify agreed:
‘Too risky 🥲🙂 hope she is okay.’

Other fans praised Perry’s professionalism, with X user @REPUTATIONAOTD writing: ‘The professionalism here is beyond insane like that could’ve easily cost your life but Katy didn’t panic and she kept the show going….Katy Perry is hands down one of the best performers of our generation.’

@sangamsharma03 agreed: ‘ALSO THE PROFESSIONALISM AND HOW SHE KEPT SINGING?? Some female pop stars just give their everything to create an amazing concertfor their fans even if it means risking their own lives!!!’

This isn’t the first time Perry has encountered turbulence on the Lifetimes Tour.

Since kicking off her Lifetimes world tour in May the Dark Horse singer, who is reported to have recently split from fiancé Orlando Bloom, has faced a string of close calls, including nearly plunging into a crowd in another instance, narrowly avoiding a wardrobe malfunction and having a fan rush on stage and grab her.

Most recently, at an Australian stop, the singer was hoisted above the crowd inside a suspended metal sphere.

As handlers released the rig, the sphere tilted suddenly, briefly throwing Perry off balance before the lights cut and the prop was lowered safely.

Some have compared Katy’s recent mishaps to a similar incident at a Cowboy Carter show when Beyoncé faced a prop ‘malfunction’ of her own.

During a Houston show, Beyoncé’s floating car prop stalled mid-air during 16 Carriages, sparking both praise for her professionalism and concerns about the growing trend of high-risk stage effects.

‘Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop,’ she said into the microphone as the music cut out. Remaining suspended in the air, she looked at the ground and up again before smiling at the crowd as they cheered.

After a few seconds, Beyoncé then told them ‘thank y’all for your patience’, before the car was lowered into the centre of the stadium.

Given these recent instances, many fans are questioning if extreme concert props are too dangerous for such frequent use.

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