Katy Perry's AFL Grand Final performance goes viral as fans discover 'new lefty shark'

Katy Perry Fans were in for a treat as they watched her perform ahead of the AFL Grand Final on Saturday, September 28, in Melbourne, Australia.

As the 39-year-old singer sang her 2010 hit “Teenage Dream” at the MCG Stadium, a throng of dancers in silver and pink balloon costumes came out full of energy – except for one, who was unfortunately out of breath.

“A deflated balloon is the new left shark for Katy Perry,” reads a TikTok video that shows the deflated balloon dancing before leaving the field.

Commenters gave some incredible reactions, with one cheekily referencing Perry's “Firework” lyrics: “✨Do you ever feel like you're a plastic bag floating in the wind and want to start over✨?”

“Commitment to routine though 😅,” wrote another.

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The deflated balloon was reminiscent of the iconic “Left Shark” that made headlines during Perry's Super Bowl XLIX halftime show in 2015. During her performance of “Teenage Dream,” the singer was flanked on stage by two dancers in giant blue shark costumes. The one on the right seemed to be dancing in sync; However, Left Shark hit around like a fish out of water and became an instant sensation.

The man behind the costume, Bryan Gaw, revealed in a 2018 interview that he played up the silliness. “I’m wearing a 7-foot blue shark costume. There's nothing cool about that. So what is the other option? Well, I'm going to play a different character,” he told NPR.

Amusingly, Perry mentioned Left Shark in a pre-performance interview with AFL last week, telling the reporter that such a surprise could happen again.

“You know, I asked Pesto [the Australian penguin] I want to turn up but as the weather here in Melbourne changes four times in one day – when it was about to snow yesterday I thought the conditions might be perfect – but it will be nice and warm on Saturday so I don't think so , he comes out. But I will go to him and get a blessing.”

However, she teased what to expect during her set, saying: “There are over 150 dancers. It’s going to be really fun, larger than life, super bright and full of songs that everyone will want to sing along to.”

In addition to “Teenage Dream,” Perry performed hits like “Roar,” “Dark Horse,” “California Gurls” and “Firework,” as well as two songs from her new album 143: “Gorgeous” and “Lifetimes”.

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A notable moment came thanks to a cameo appearance from the Australian singer Tina Arenawho hugged Perry as they performed “I Kissed A Girl.” Arena also sang her 1994 hit “Chains.”

Perry took to Instagram after her 17-minute performance and shared, “I went to Australia where they taught me the definition of a specky so I gave them one @afl 🦋🏟️🏉😎.”