The pop star roars into Iowa’s capital city on Saturday.
Pop star Katy Perry explodes into downtown Des Moines this Saturday for her first performance at Wells Fargo Arena.
From new music to stage design to security and parking, here’s a look at everything you need to know before heading to Iowa’s largest indoor venue for the month’s biggest pop show.
Perry appears in Des Moines as part of the massive “Witness” tour, which kicked off earlier this year — in support of her new record of the same name — and runs through summer 2018. It marks her second performance in Iowa’s capital city, following a brief set as part of a Hillary Clinton political rally in 2015.
The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 sales chart, marking Perry’s third top-charting full-length release. Her fifth studio effort, “Witness” earned overall mixed reviews from critics: British publications The Guardian and NME each awarded “Witness” four-out-of-five star ratings, with The Guardian saying it “keeps melodic flair,” while Rolling Stone awarded the album three-out-of-five stars, calling it “less bombastic.”
Her 20-song show for the “Witness” tour features a number of new cuts, such as “Chained to the Rhythm,” “Swish Swish” and “Roulette” as well as fan-favorite Perry classics the likes of “Roar,” “Teenage Dream,” “Firework” and “California Gurls.”
Kicking off earlier this year in Canada, critics have turned an eye to the “Witness” tour for the immaculate stage design and extracurricular optics Perry and her traveling team offers.
The New York Times compared a night with the tour to a carnival visit.
“The set design was impeccable, turning the arena into a galaxy, with planets dangling from the sky,” the review said.
Similarly, Variety described the show as an “Instagram dream.”
“Attending a Katy Perry concert is a bit like a stroll down the Las Vegas strip — a razzmatazz of colors that draws the gaze of parents and kids alike, where fun implores you at every turn,” Variety said.
A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.
The head-turning illusions on “Witness” come partly at the hand of Ashley Evans, a show director with The Squarred Division who worked with Perry to choreograph and write the performance.
Previously working with the likes of Taylor Swift and Demi Lavato, Evans and collaborator Antony Ginandjar spent about six months writing the “Witness” show. The result? A set that brings the audience props on a larger-than-life spectrum.
“Everything that we bring on to this stage is on a giant scale,” he told the Register. “It’s 100 times bigger than what it would be in real life. Our goal (was) to make big, bold large scale images that fit beautifully in the stage.… Imagine the most normal thing and increase the size by 100 or 200 and that’s the prop.”
A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.
All who plan to attend the show will pass through a full-body metal detector prior to entering the arena. Arena officials suggest show-goers plan for additional time to enter the building. Doors are scheduled to open at 6 p.m.
Iowa Events Center security protocol prohibits items such as drugs and illegal substances, weapons of any type, and outside food or drink to enter the arena for shows. A full breakdown of what can and can’t be brought in is listed at iowaeventscenter.com.
Tickets cost $50.50-$151.50 before fees and are still available at the time of publication. Tickets can be purchased via Hy-VeeTix.com, at the Wells Fargo Arena box office or at participating Des Moines and Ames Hy-Vee locations.
The Iowa Events Center offers event parking lots north of Wells Fargo Arena for $8 per vehicle on a first-come, first-served basis. Metered street parking, free after 6 p.m., and ramps, varying in cost, can be found throughout downtown. A full list of parking options can be found at downtowndesmoines.com .
