Overview
- At Manchester’s AO Arena, Perry staged a two‑plus‑hour, sci‑fi/video‑game narrative that casts her as a heroine rescuing butterflies from AI overlords.
- The production leaned on aerial stunts and oversized props on a figure‑of‑eight stage, including a finale that sent her riding a giant mechanical butterfly over the audience.
- The setlist mixed new material from 143 and Lifetimes with a rapid run of early‑career hits, often abbreviated or reworked with EDM flourishes that some critics said blunted their impact.
- Stripped‑back segments with fan requests and onstage guests earned praise for showcasing her vocals and personable crowd interaction.
- UK shows drew enthusiastic, family‑heavy crowds and reports of full arenas, a marked shift from the more muted response noted during parts of the U.S. leg.