In a heart-stopping moment at her San Francisco concert Friday, Katy Perry experienced a terrifying incident when her massive butterfly prop suddenly plummeted several feet while she was perched atop it!
One of the signature moments of the Lifetimes Tour features Perry majestically riding a butterfly prop that soars above concertgoers during “Roar.” But at the Chase Center on Friday (July 18, 2025), things went horribly wrong when the prop malfunctioned and dropped dramatically mid-performance, causing Perry and likely the audience below to have the fright of their lives:
After the shocking scare, Perry somehow managed to keep her cool and — once the butterfly stabilized — jumped right back into performing “Roar.” The rest of the show miraculously continued without further incidents.
Perry later made light of the frightening moment on Instagram, sharing a screenshot capturing her startled expression at the exact second the butterfly dropped. “Goodnight San Fran,” she quipped.
Katy Perry’s giant butterfly prop just malfunctioned mid-show and nearly took her out… she really said fight or flight 🦋💥 #lifetimestour #KatyPerry @katyperry @ChrisAntonacci1 @todaykatyp pic.twitter.com/MeXJ77JJBj
— Rayan (@Rmadjidi) July 19, 2025
The “Roar” incident marks the second time this summer that a floating concert prop nearly put the artist and the audience at risk: In late June, Beyoncé faced a similar situation when her flying car tilted and stalled above a Houston crowd during “16 Carriages,” causing a brief delay (and the song’s temporary removal from the Cowboy Carter Tour set list, until the car was replaced with a horse).
Perry endured a previous stage malfunction during the tour’s Australian leg when a flying sphere she rides in began tilting mid-performance, forcing her to cling to the cables connected to the sphere.