Start of Katy Perry's Aussie tour tainted by outrageous demand

The star kicked off the Australian leg of her Lifetimes Tour in Sydney last night - and it's been met with some controversy. 

After a seven-year hiatus - with an AFL Grand Final in between - Katy Perry officially returned to Aussie shores to kickstart the Australian leg of her Lifetimes Tour in Sydney last night.

The show has received mixed reviews when it comes to performance. However, in a disappointing trend being seen across a number of popular concerts recently, it’s the merchandise that has attendees up in arms.

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Image: Jonathan Ng.

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Who doesn’t love merch?

One of the most exciting parts about seeing an artist you love in concert is finding out what merch will be available for you to take home afterwards.

After her first Aussie show last night, fans initially thought the items - and prices - felt relatively fair.

Shirts sat at around $65 each, the standard now for an artist of her size, as well as an array of trinkets like plushies, posters, fans, and mirrors in the $20-$50 range. Many of these have been pulled from previous albums of the artist - including pieces referencing both Roar and California Gurls.

But, one item in particular has people doing a double take.

Image: TikTok / @thekatycatclub, Supplied.

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It costs how much?!

Along with the more reasonably priced (ish) pieces has come one that has fans completely shocked.

The piece is a bomber jacket - black, with the Lifetimes Tour logo on the front and back, and a butterfly on the sleeve.

If I can be completely honest, I’d think it was cute if it weren’t $300.

Yep, you read that right. It’s $300. For one bomber jacket.

Concert TikTok creator Jacinda Chenelle took to the app to share the news last night.

“We also have this $300 bomber jacket here, which does look quite cool,” she said in the video.

“But, $300? Eh.”

“$300 is wild!”

Needless to say, commenters and others across social media were pretty appalled by the price.

“THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS WHAT,” said one commenter on social media.

“I want that jacket for $300 but I can’t spend that much,” said another.

“$300 is wild!” a third agreed.

“$300 for a jacket?” said another.

“$300 dollars?!?! That’s more than the SS jacket from Taylor,” another compared.

For comparison, the Billie Eilish hoodie that sent fans spiraling earlier this year at her Hit Me Hard and Soft tour retailed for $220 - still a huge amount, but not quite Katy Perry prices.

One commenter on TikTok who purchased the jacket said that it was ‘so worth it’, citing the pockets and comfortable fabric.

But, would you buy it?

Originally published as Start of Katy Perry's Aussie tour tainted by outrageous demand