Photos and Review by Raven Divito
@rockinshots

Katy Perry didn’t just return to the stage on July 18^th in San Francisco—she returned to Earth from space and brought the cosmos with her. Kicking off her highly anticipated Lifetimes Tour at the sold-out Chase Center, Perry delivered a larger-than-life performance that was equal parts sci-fi spectacle and emotional nostalgia trip.

Dressed in a shimmering metallic bodysuit, the 40-year-old pop icon emerged like an intergalactic goddess from a swirling digital vortex of butterflies and neon lights. The show opened with a computerized montage, equal parts Tron and fairy tale, that set the tone for the night: this was no ordinary pop concert. This was Katy Perry: A Close Encounter of the Third Kind.

The stage, designed in a glowing infinity-loop figure-eight, wrapped around half the arena, allowing Perry to engage up close with her fans, affectionately known as KatyCats. Phones lit up the venue during emotional deep cuts like “Not Like the Movies” and “The One That Got Away.” During the latter, Perry welcomed four fans onstage, tying the shoelaces of 5-year-old Gizelle and helping name another fan’s baby “Lily Larson—with three L’s”—in response to a homemade sign. She even gifted silver KP-branded percussion balls as souvenirs, casually walking part of the loop while chatting with the audience.

But it wasn’t all sweet and sentimental. A real-life heart-stopping moment came during “Roar” when Perry, suspended high above the crowd on a massive mechanical butterfly, suddenly dropped several feet when it looked like a cable slipped. Gasps echoed through the arena as Perry, always the professional, clutched the cable with one hand and her mic with the other, stared upward unfazed, and declared, “Not today, Satan.” Her flawless recovery earned a thunderous ovation and audible sighs of relief throughout the Chase Center.

The night had already faced technical challenges. Doors opened late as crews scrambled to troubleshoot the elaborate set, and the show nearly didn’t happen. But Perry wasn’t about to let her Bay Area fans down. “This is my biggest show in America,” she told the crowd. “So thank you, San Francisco!”

Her setlist was stacked—24 songs spanning a career of genre-defying hits and fresh material from her new album 143, including “ARTIFICIAL,” “LIFETIMES,” and “CRUSH.” New tracks blended seamlessly with iconic smashes like “California Gurls,” “Dark Horse,” and “Teenage Dream.” One fan-fueled moment even saw Perry strum a snippet of “Harleys in Hawaii” in an impromptu acoustic interlude, joking, “It’s not on the list, but maybe it should be.”

Every moment of the concert was dialed up: from her backup dancers in NASA uniforms to her high-flying stunts involving a dragonfly, a metal orb, and enough aerial harnesses to rival a Marvel movie. It was a Disney ride meets club night meets Broadway—pulsing bass, laser beams, and robotic narrations guiding fans through digital chapters like Labyrinth, Shadow Valley, and Nirvana.

Social media has already dubbed it “the best tour of the year,” and it’s hard to argue. One fan summed it up best: “She’s an icon. She’s a legend. And she’s rising again.”

And she really is. Just weeks ago, Perry flew to space aboard Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, alongside Gayle King, Lauren Sánchez, and astronaut Amanda Nguyen. That cosmic journey echoes through every detail of Lifetimes. This isn’t just a comeback tour—it’s a transmission from a pop star who’s re-entered Earth’s orbit with wisdom, wildness, and wonder.

For the latest tour updates and news, visit Katy Perry’s official website at Katy Perry | Official Site.