RECAP: KATY PERRY 'THE LIFETIMES TOUR' IN VANCOUVER

Backspin Canada
1 day ago
4 min read

Katy Perry’s return to full-scale touring after an eight-year hiatus was nothing short of interstellar. On the 35th stop of her Lifetimes Tour, the pop powerhouse touched down at Rogers Arena and reminded Vancouver exactly why she remains one of pop’s most enduring icons. This was a concert was a fever dream, packed with many fan moments, cutting-edge stage design, and a level of spectacle few artists dare to match.

Photos by Tage Stenner / Backspin Canada

Though Vancouver got a brief taste of Perry earlier this year when she performed a 15-minute set at the Invictus Games Opening Ceremony at BC Place, this was her full comeback. Her history with the city runs deep, dating back to January 25, 2009, and this marked her eighth concert in Vancouver, ninth if you count Whistler. With the Canadian leg just kicking off, the Rogers Arena crowd became the first to witness what Perry had in store north of the border, ahead of upcoming shows in Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal, and Toronto.

Before the show started, the atmosphere was electric. Fans filled the concourses in Katy Perry merch spanning every era. Merchandise lines spilled into other lines, fans FaceTimed friends from their seats, and the arena even flipped many of its main-level restrooms to female-only, a move similar to when Nelly played the same venue earlier this year, only with way more glitter and glow.

Then came Act 1: Artificial. At 8:45 PM, Perry made her entrance, rising the middle of her style stage, in a glowing, triple-tiered ring like a cybernetic queen, clad in chrome armour with fluorescent tubing arcing from her helmet. The figure-eight stage burst to life beneath her, surrounded by massive LED panels flashing distorted visuals of her face in character. The energy snapped into place instantly as she performed tracks like Chained to the Rhythm and Dark Horse.

Things brightened during Act 2: Woman’s World, where Perry pivoted into anthemic pop joy and iconic throwbacks. Even with shortened versions of some songs, the crowd sang every lyric as if they’d waited a decade to do it again. Pyro, LED bodysuits, and high-energy choreography matched the tone of each era she touched. Mid-set, a fan screamed out for Peacock, and Katy laughed before singing the iconic line “I wanna see your peacock,” to wild cheers.

At one point in the show, Perry brought several fans on stage. One of the most hilarious and heartwarming moments came when she asked a young girl where she was from, and the fan nervously answered, “Canada.” The entire arena, and Katy, burst into laughter. She also welcomed a 20-year-old guy from Medicine Hat, Alberta, who works at a co-op gas station, and a young girl who dreams of being a marine biologist. Each had their moment in the spotlight, with Perry joking, snapping selfies, and making sure it was a memory neither they, nor the audience, would forget.

As the show transitioned into Act 3: Nirvana, the visuals grew deeper and more surreal. The mood shifted to a darker, more emotional tone, anchored by brooding lighting and dreamlike arrangements. A powerful remix of Wide Awake had the crowd swaying before it melted seamlessly into Act 3.5: Choose Your Own Adventure, a quieter and more intimate stretch.

By Act 4: Mainframe, Perry returned with a surge of energy, performing punchy, defiant tracks as glitchy digital aesthetics flashed across the stage. The visuals mimicked broken screens and pixelated chaos, all grounded by Perry’s powerhouse vocals and her tight, dynamic band, whom she proudly introduced one by one.

The finale, Act 5: End Game, was explosive in every sense. Perry returned for Roar, lifted high above the arena on her now-infamous mechanical butterfly, the same one that almost fell during her San Francisco show. In Vancouver, it flew without issue. The crowd held their breath, but also sang along proudly. She closed with Firework, blending in elements from her newer track Wonder, as pyrotechnics lit the sky and fans belted out every word.

Katy Perry proved that not only is she still one of pop’s most creative forces, she’s only getting bolder. Between the fans she brought on stage, the wild visuals, and the emotional highs, The Timeless Tour lived up to its name and reminded everyone why they fell in love with her in the first place.

Remaining North American Tour Dates

July 24 - Edmonton, AB at Rogers Place

July 26 - Winnipeg, MB at Canada Life Centre

July 29 - Ottawa, ON at Canadian Tire Centre

July 30 - Montreal, QC at Bell Centre

August 1 - Quebec City, QC at Centre Videotron

August 3 - Detroit, MI at Little Caesars Arena

August 5 - Toronto, ON at Scotiabank Arena

August 6 - Toronto, ON at Scotiabank Arena

August 8 - Boston, MA at TD Garden

August 9 - Philadelphia, PA at Wells Fargo Center

August 11 - New York, NY at Madison Square Garden