Most Epic Mid-Performance Stage Falls
Published on August 3, 2016. Updated October 2, 2019Sometimes we put celebrities on a pedestal, but even the world’s biggest stars make mistakes! It’s just like that old saying…”the higher the throne, the harder the fall.” Well these 10 celebrities would surely agree with that! Performing on stage in heels, with flashing lights and a screaming crowd can sometimes be distracting, not to mention the different stage set ups each night. It’s kind of one of their occupational hazards and it happens to even the most well rehearsed or seasoned performers. For a good laugh, we’ve created a list of some of the most epic stage falls that happened during a performance. Many of these stars take on the attitude of ‘the show much go on’ and pretended like it never happened, while others enjoy a good laugh before shaking it off — here are a few of the best falls we’ve seen on stage:
10. Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw made a risky move when he stepped down from the stage during a performance at Harvey’s Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena this summer and continued to sing while standing out on a ledge. At first he was hanging onto the railing to keep his balance, but he got a little adventurous when he started moving around to touch the hands of his screaming fans. He was well into the single “All I Want Is a Life” when he seemingly missed a step while making his way back to where he started. The fall didn’t look too painful and he didn’t even miss a beat in the song, but it definitely took fans by surprise! Luckily, McGraw has a good sense of humor and he smiled at himself for slipping, pointed at some of the fans who saw and even high-fived a few of them.
9. One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson
Back in 2013, Louis Tomlinson of the popular group One Direction had an embarrassing slip on stage while performing in Australia. Tomlinson definitely started off on the wrong foot as it was the first gig of their 24-date tour. He slipped in a puddle while walking across the stage as the boys sang their hit single “Kiss You” to thousands of fans. Prior to his fall, the band mates were engaging in a playful water fight on stage, turning the whole thing into a slip n’ slide. Unfortunately for Louis, he was the only one who fell victim to the slippery stage. The fall looked pretty painful and he definitely took a minute to lay there and laugh it off. Luckily he wasn’t alone and had his fellow band mates were able to carry on the song and laugh with him as they dosed him in some more water until he got back up.
8. Beyonce
That’s right, even Queen Bey makes mistakes! The usually flawless performer had what looked like a seriously painful fall down the stars during a performance in 2007. She was walking down a steep flight of stairs on stage when she stumbles and falls face first! She even rolled forward over her head. Apparently her long coat got caught in her heel which caused her to fall. Surprisingly, this wasn’t her only fall on stage. She had a little misstep during the Superbowl performance in 2016 and another tumble during a concert in Lisbon in 2014. But the fall in 2007 was by far the most embarrassing! In true Beyonce fashion, she carried on like nothing happened, but it was definitely hard to ignore. Later in an interview she commented on it and said, “I fell head first, hit my chin. I was really bruised up. It went by so fast. I just kept thinking, ‘You better get up.’ I went into an immediate head-bag. I don’t know what that was about, but I guess I was so shaken. I was like, ‘Just go for it. Do it harder.’ And whenever I do something like that, I always perform really, really hard ’cause it makes me a little mad at myself, so I just go crazy. So they got a really good show at the end.”
7. Luke Bryan
Luke Bryan is well known for busting out the moves on stage. He knows his assets and he uses them well! Despite his extensive experience performing on stage, he’s crumbled more than once on stage. Bryan had three bad falls during his Farm Tour in 2014. The first time he was walking back onto an upper part of the stage, forgot about the step, and fell forward. The second time he stepped forward and fell off stage, but the worst was probably the last one which happened in August of 2014. Someone from the side of the stage threw him a water bottle (which he was expecting) and he miscalculated how much room he had on the stage behind him. He fell backwards onto his back and into the audience. He had a good sense of humor about it and even tweeted out later: “All good here. No bumps or bruises. Our stage is different in every amp. Little stage variations. Hell I gotta just pay more attention.” As if three falls weren’t bad enough, just recently on his Kill The Lights tour, someone threw him a beer while he was on stage when he slipped on seemingly nothing and landed on his back. At least time time he didn’t fall off the stage!
6. Pink
This tumble was the result of either an awful malfunction in stage equipment or a misinterpreted cue for take-off. Pink was flung off stage during a performance in Nuremberg, Germany while singing the song, “So What.” This artist is known for taking an acrobatic approach to her performances with lots of stunts and props, so a fall for her was bound to happen. Although the fall didn’t necessarily look all that painful, it seemed to knock the wind out of her as she was caught on film saying, “F-ck! That hurt like a motherf-cker.” Fans later found out the accident happened because she wasn’t properly clipped into the harness. It’s clear in one of the audience videos that Pink tried to send a warning that she wasn’t ready by making an X with her arms toward the back of the stage, but the signal was ignored and she was pulled ahead, flung offstage and into a barricade. Two of her assistants were also pushed off stage in the midst of it. The concert was cancelled after that and Pink was rushed to the hospital after suffering severe pain. She tweeted out an apology afterwards. “To all my Nuremberg fans – I am so so so sorry to end the show that way. I am embarrassed and very sorry. I’m in ambulance now but I will b fine.” She tweeted again later, “Ok all my lovers out there- nothings broken, no fluid in the lungs, just seriously sore. I made that barricade my b*tch!!!! Thanx nurnberg :(“
5. Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga is definitely known for taking risks. She does it with her music, her fashion on the red carpet and even in her performances. However, she got a little too crafty one night when she decided to dance on her piano during a performance back in 2011. In typical Gaga fashion, she was dressed in a skimpy costume, rocking some dangerously high stilettos. But that didn’t discourage her from putting one leg up on the piano stool and the other on the piano while singing the song, “You & I.” Not surprisingly, before we knew it, in one swift movement she was on her back laying on the floor. Gaga managed to make a quick recovery and continue singing, but there was no graceful way to cover that up. That fall looked like it left some cuts and bruises and we’re positive she was feeling it the next day! It was definitely one of the most epic and unfortunate stage falls.
4. Iggy Azalea
The Australian rapper suffered a minor dose of embarrassment while performing her biggest hit, “Fancy” at The Avalon in Los Angeles during an MTV Video Music Awards benefit concert in 2014. She was on stage singing with Charli XCX when she started backing up. Basically, she misjudged the space on the stage and like many other artists have done before she walked backwards right off the stage! She fell onto her back and was quickly rescued by security guards. Azalea gained a lot of respect and a few laughs after that as she continued on rapping, never missing a beat throughout the whole thing. When she regained her composure and the song was over, she told the audience she was “very blessed” she didn’t break her legs. Like a good sport, she poked fun at herself afterwards and posted a video of the fall on her Instagram account with the caption, “I know I laughed.”
A video posted by Iggy Azalea (@thenewclassic) on
3. Meghan Trainor
Meghan Trainor proved just how live and unedited Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show is when she took the stage for a performance of her new single “Me Too” and fell onto her back! She took the stage in some sky high heels which were most certainly the cause of her fall and a tight sequinned dress. She was almost at the end of her song when she lost her footing. She tried to grab the microphone stand to regain her balance, but it wasn’t sturdy enough and she went down for the count! Thankfully, her major wipe out came right at the end of her performance so she was able to finish it off with a laugh and Jimmy Fallon came onto the stage to save the day. He quickly quipped, “Of every single dance move, grabbing the mic is the toughest. Standing ovation for Meghan Trainor, everybody!” Trainor took it all in stride, picked herself back up and saluted the crowd before laughing off her embarrassment. She later sent out a tweet, “Might have fell down…but I KILLED that sh-t hahaha. #keepinitreal thank you @fallontonight.”
2. Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato has been the victim of more than one tumble on stage. Some of her biggest mishaps were at a WE Day appearance, the Z100 Jingle Ball concert in New York City and last summer during a performance of “Cool For the Summer” at KIIS Fm’s summer pool party. This particular incident was bound to happen as she combined high heels with water and a slippery stage! She was on the WaterMark Tower on a small stage in the middle of a pool when she slipped on a puddle and slammed down hard onto the stage. There’s no way she didn’t suffer a few bumps and bruises after that tumble. The fall came right when she was about to leap off into the pool, but it seems she used a little too much force and it swept her feet out from under her. Of course, she had no choice but to get back up and finish off the performance. She recovered with a playful jump into the pool which hopefully soothed her wounds. She teased herself on social media by posting a video of the fall on Instagram with the caption, “#NOTCoolForTheSummer #F-ckIt” and tweeted out: “Well…it’s not a tour without busting as-!!!!!! #NOTcoolforthesummer.”
1. Madonna
No doubt, Madonna is a veteran performer, but like many of her peers she’s not exempt from an embarrassing moment or two. She experienced an awful wipe-out on stage during the middle of a live performance at the 2015 Brit Awards. She was standing on the stairs singing while wearing a long cape when someone or somehow her cape was pulled on which yanked her backwards and caused her to fall down the stairs landing on her back. She tried to play it off like it was part of the performance and continued on singing, but it was definitely noticeable. She commented on the fall afterwards in an interview with Rolling Stone and said, “I didn’t hurt my butt, I hurt my head. I did. I know how to fall, I’ve fallen off my horse many times and I tucked and I have good core strength…but the thing is, I had a little bit of a whiplash and I smacked the back of my head so there was a man standing over me with a flashlight until about 3 a.m. making sure that I was still compos mentis.” That definitely looked painful!
