Katy Perry clings on as floating stage sphere tips during Australia show

Katy Perry’s Scary Concert Moment

During a June 29, 2025 concert in Adelaide, Australia, Katy Perry experienced a mid-air scare. She was inside a large metal sphere that was supposed to float over the audience at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre. The sphere began to lift but then suddenly tilted, catching the singer off guard.

Katy quickly grabbed onto the frame to steady herself as the unbalanced structure rose higher. Fans recorded the moment and shared it widely across social media platforms. The mishap happened in the middle of her high-tech “Lifetimes” Tour, which had already made headlines for its ambitious design.

The Lifetimes Tour and Album “143”

The incident occurred while Perry was touring in support of her seventh studio album, 143, which was released in September 2024. The album features new songs and celebrates her evolution as an artist over the years. The number “143” is a nod to the phrase “I love you.”

The tour launched in April 2025 in Mexico City and is set to conclude on December 7 in Abu Dhabi. With immersive visuals and fan-favorite songs, “Lifetimes” was designed to be a bold experience, making the prop failure in Adelaide especially memorable and concerning.

Australian Stop Followed Beyoncé’s Mishap

Adding to the shock, Perry’s accident happened just one day after Beyoncé experienced a similar problem. During her Houston show on June 29, 2025, Beyoncé’s flying car prop began to tilt while suspended in mid-air, forcing safety teams to intervene.

Fans on social media quickly noted the coincidence of two major pop stars experiencing aerial mishaps in back-to-back concerts. While unrelated, the back-to-back technical issues raised questions about the safety and reliability of floating stage props used in modern arena shows.

Tour Continues After Adelaide Scare

Despite the mishap in Australia, Perry’s “Lifetimes” Tour continued uninterrupted. The North American leg began in Houston, Texas, on May 7 at the Toyota Center. This marked her return to U.S. arenas after several years away from major touring.

The tour also includes headline stops at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles on July 15 and Madison Square Garden in New York City on August 11. These are her first headline appearances in venues of that size since 2018, marking a major comeback to large-scale live performances.

Perry Discusses Tour Vision with Variety

Ahead of the tour, Perry told Variety she was pushing her team to create something audiences had “never seen or heard.” She emphasized that the concerts were meant to be innovative, emotional, and visually bold, a new level of production for her team.

She also said she felt a responsibility to give fans familiar songs, noting that the shows were built to connect people emotionally. Perry wanted to “lock eyes” with the audience and share moments of nostalgia after being away from major tours for some time.

Fire Incident Outside Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Only months earlier, Perry faced a different scare, this time offstage. On January 30, 2025, outside Jimmy Kimmel Live!, a fan accidentally touched a transformer during an autograph session. The electrical surge caused sparks to fly dangerously close to Perry.

The fan’s coat briefly caught fire, and though nobody was seriously hurt, the moment created panic. Perry ducked to avoid the sparks and later returned to greet fans from the safety of her vehicle. The moment showed how unpredictable fan interactions can be, even offstage.

Mechanical Failure on American Idol

Unpredictable moments have followed Perry into television work as well. On American Idol in April 2024, she wore a silver structural top by designer Kate Barton. Just before a contestant’s performance, the top broke and required emergency repairs.

She was filmed joking with crew members who scrambled with pliers to fix the metal outfit. Perry eventually shielded herself with a pillow to avoid any mishaps during the live taping. The incident was shared widely online and gained over 11 million views in just a few days.

Eyelash Glue Mishap in Las Vegas

Katy Perry’s Las Vegas residency also included a viral moment, this time caused by eyelash glue. During her October 24, 2022, show, Perry appeared unable to open one eye, leading fans to joke she was glitching like a robot or malfunctioning animatronic.

The clip made rounds on TikTok, where users added playful captions like “clone failure” and “mechanical glitch.” Perry stayed composed throughout the performance and finished the set without pausing, showing her commitment to continuing the show regardless of cosmetic mishaps.

Accident During Witness Tour in Salt Lake City

Back in 2017, during her Witness Tour, Perry faced another stage mishap. In Salt Lake City, while performing “Roar,” she accidentally kicked a large inflatable eyeball into a fan’s face. The ball knocked the fan’s phone out of her hand mid-recording.

Just weeks earlier on the same tour, Perry had been stranded mid-air after a floating planet prop malfunctioned in Nashville. She was forced to dive into the crowd to safely exit the platform, showing that large-scale stage props have long presented challenges in her performances.

Stagehand Injury During Prismatic Tour

Perry’s Prismatic World Tour in 2014 also led to a backstage injury. A stagehand named Christina Fish was asked to move a wall during the Raleigh, North Carolina, stop. The wall rolled over her foot, causing immediate bleeding and severe pain.

Fish later developed gangrene and lost her right big toe. No ambulance was called, and she was taken to the hospital by a friend. Fish sued Perry, Live Nation, and the production crew, claiming emotional trauma and the end of her yoga hobby due to the injury.

Technical Error at NRJ Music Awards

One of Perry’s earliest live mishaps happened in 2013 at the NRJ Music Awards in France. While performing “Roar,” her lip movements didn’t match the audio track, causing confusion among viewers and prompting the host to stop the performance.

NRJ organizers later apologized, explaining that a technical mix-up had caused the wrong audio track to play. Perry agreed to restart the performance live, clearing up the misunderstanding and continuing the show without further issues.

Fan Exit During Jingle Ball 2024

Another awkward moment came in December 2024 at Madison Square Garden during the Jingle Ball concert. As Perry performed, some fans began leaving early, leading her to comment humorously on the situation with lyrics from her song “Hot N Cold.”

Attendees later clarified on TikTok that the exits were due to late train and bus schedules. Some fans who stayed until the end were stranded well past midnight. Despite online speculation, there was no evidence that fans were dissatisfied with Perry’s actual performance.

Handprint Ceremony Wardrobe Close Call

In 2015, Perry nearly had a wardrobe malfunction at a public event. While bending forward to press her hands into cement at the TCL Chinese Theatre, her low-cut black dress shifted, nearly exposing her in front of photographers.

She was attending the event with designer Jeremy Scott to promote the film Jeremy Scott: The People’s Designer. The two wore matching outfits and joked about “twinning.” Perry quipped that she turns into a pumpkin at midnight, adding humor to the close call.

Touring Schedule Conflict with Taylor Swift

In 2017, fans noticed that Taylor Swift’s Reputation Tour was scheduled for the same time Katy Perry was touring the UK. Although they weren’t in the same cities, the timing sparked online drama among fans of both artists.

Some social media users accused Swift of competing directly with Perry. Tweets included phrases like “snake behavior” and complaints about having to choose between concerts. The overlap caused a brief spike in fan arguments across platforms like Twitter and Instagram.

2024 MTV Vanguard Award Performance

At the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, Perry received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. She performed a medley of her top hits, including “Dark Horse,” “Teenage Dream,” and “California Gurls,” as well as her new single with Doechii.

Orlando Bloom presented her with the award following her performance. The couple shared a kiss onstage, and Perry joked about performing while on the first day of her period. She thanked her team, label, and fans in a heartfelt speech about career longevity.

Katy’s hitting the U.K. stage this October—see Katy Perry’s U.K. tour returns after 7 years.

Perry’s Acceptance Speech and Closing Message

In her closing remarks, Perry encouraged artists to stay true to their vision. She spoke about how difficult it is to succeed in the music industry without giving in to outside pressure, especially as a woman.

She urged young performers to protect their mental health, “touch grass,” and focus on authenticity. She ended the speech by reminding fans that her album 143 would be released on September 20, 2024, capping off a year filled with intense performances and unpredictable moments.

Want to see how Katy celebrated last Christmas? Don’t miss Katy Perry shares her family’s festive Christmas tradition.

What would you do if the stage tipped mid-air? Drop your thoughts below!

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This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.