Photo Credit: Getty Images
In an unexpected twist that recalls their 2013 airplay war, pop divas Lady Gaga and Katy Perry will play solo gigs in Mexico City on April 26, 2025, as news whips fans and industry observers into a frenzy.
In August 2013, both stars released lead singles that created a lot of hype and comparisons. Katy Perry’s Roar, an empowerment midtempo track, and Lady Gaga’s Applause, an artwork accolade dance anthem, released within days of each other. This simultaneous release created worldwide media coverage and fan debates, with Roar topping the charts, and Applause peaking at number four.
Flash forward to 2025, and the two celebrities are in the limelight once again. Katy Perry’s Lifetimes Tour has a sold-out show in Mexico City on April 26 at the CDMX Arena with a capacity of slightly over 22,000 seats. Shocking, Lady Gaga also announced a concert at the Estadio GNP Seguros on the same date, a stadium that can accommodate approximately 60,000 concertgoers. Sheeran’s concert falls under her upcoming MAYHEM era, supporting her seventh studio album, scheduled for release on March 7, 2025. Sheeran’s concert is her first time in Mexico in 13 years, adding to the buzz among her fans.
The announcement of these simultaneous concerts has brought a revisit of the Roar vs. Applause controversy on social media platforms. Fans are comparing the 2013 single releases to the upcoming concerts and wondering which concert to attend and grumbling about the scheduling conflict. Surprisingly, some fans who have previously purchased tickets to Katy Perry’s concert are now selling them to watch Lady Gaga’s show. This shift has created controversy over venue capacities and how it may impact each artist’s crowd size. One fan pointed out that Gaga’s single performance would have almost as many witnesses as Perry had with her three shows combined, thanks to the bigger capacity of Estadio GNP Seguros.
Booking these top-rate concerts simultaneously creates logistical problems with event managers, security personnel, and municipal government authorities in Mexico City. Booking both events on a single day requires a great deal of planning to protect and please visitors. Furthermore, the coincidence of events would affect merchandise sales, media coverage, and overall fan experience because some are compelled to go to one show and forgo the other.
As the date of the concert draws near, only time will tell what this situation will look like. Will fans still be split, or will they figure out how to enjoy both shows? Either way, the April 26 concerts are destined to be something of note within pop culture, demonstrating the long-standing legacies of both Lady Gaga and Katy Perry.
For those who want to go, pre-sale tickets for Lady Gaga’s concert will be up for sale on March 6, with regular tickets available on March 7. Katy Perry’s Lifetimes Tour tickets have been up for sale since November 2024, with very few left.
This unexpected overlap of pop behemoths in Mexico City not only reminds one of their past rivalry but also indicates the energetic and ever-changing nature of the music industry.
