Kim Petras performs at Castro Theatre in San Francisco on March 15, 2026. Starr Lee/STAFF.
SAN FRANCISCO — A day after a surprise appearance during the closing night of Sam Smith’s monthlong residency at the recently renovated Castro Theatre, Kim Petras headlined her own show Sunday.
The performance arrived during a transitional moment for the singer-songwriter. In January, Petras spoke out on social media about wanting to break ties with her label, citing a lack of creative control and the inability to release her long-anticipated album, Detour, as planned.
Soon after, she began releasing one single per week on YouTube and SoundCloud, calling the project Pretour. According to Petras, the songs serve as a prelude and offer a glimpse into the process that led to the upcoming record.
The timing feels fitting for this stage of Petras’ career. Recent collaborations and artistic decisions have revealed another side of her work that leans toward a less polished sound; intentionally brash and unapologetic.
The stage design reflected that spirit. Set in minimalist fashion, the performance space featured little more than a panel of mirrors lining the back wall. In the intimate setting, the focus remained squarely on the connection between Petras and her fans — singing together and sharing a moment that felt both celebratory and reflective. Petras had hinted online that the night would include some deep cuts, and she delivered.
Emerging in a bedazzled silver mini dress that shimmered beneath the stage lights, she opened with a run of early singles, including “If U Think About Me,” drawing an extended roar. She followed with the infectious “Slow It Down,” which she’d not performed since 2019’s Broken tour.
Between songs, Petras leaned into the nostalgia. At one point she paused for a playful audience lesson.
Kim Petras performs at Castro Theatre in San Francisco on March 15, 2026.
“I don’t want people that go ‘Woo-hah!’ — it’s definitely not ‘Woo-hah,’ OK? It’s ‘Woo-ah!’” she announced, prompting attendees to repeat the chant until they got it right.
The banter continued before she launched into her breakout single, “I Don’t Want It at All.”
“A lot of you here probably also really enjoyed my previous work on a record called Clarity,” Petras quipped before performing the title track along with “Meet the Parents.”
Kneeling at the front edge of the stage for dramatic effect, she delivered the songs with theatrical flair. The performances highlighted one of Petras’ strongest qualities as a performer — her vocal range and ability to shift easily between glossy pop spectacle and emotional sincerity.
“This one is for the emo kids out there,” she said before delivering a striking rendition of “All I Do Is Cry.” The moment slowed the pace of the set and allowed her vocals to take center stage. Even without a live band — relying instead on synths and backing tracks — every note carried clearly through the room.
Notably, Petras chose not to perform any songs from her Slut Pop or Slut Pop Miami mixtapes. Instead, she nodded to her 2023 album, Feed the Beast, with “Sex Talk,” which blended seamlessly into the summery single “Coconuts.”
An emotional performance of “Claws,” followed by “Minute,” continued the momentum. Beaming as she moved across the stage, Petras looked genuinely thrilled to be performing.
She closed the roughy hourlong main set with some of her newest material, including booming single “Polo” and “Mr. Producer.”
“It’s weird, but it’s really cool!” Petras said of the latter as its instantly recognizable intro began. As the performance ended, Zombie Nation’s “Kernkraft 400” — the track sampled in the song — blasted through the speakers.
“Will you listen to my album Detour?” Petras asked, and fans cheered in response. “Once it’s out… It’s not leaked yet, by the way. It will never leak. No one would ever do that to me.”
After taking a deep bow, Petras ran offstage. She returned moments later for an encore of “Pop Sound.” During the song, someone tossed a Transgender Pride Flag onto the stage. Petras picked it up and waved it high while singing the line, “Make me a boy, make me a girl/ Make me your weapon/ Your Smith & Wesson.”
Brownskinhazel performs at Castro Theatre in San Francisco on March 15, 2026.
Strobe lights exploded as “Freak It” followed, closing the night with a high-energy finale that had the crowd jumping as Petras whipped her hair and powered through a series of fierce dance moves.
Los Angeles multidisciplinary artist Sebastian Hernandez — performing as BROWNSKINHAZEL — opened the show with a half-hour set built around Latin-influenced club sounds. Highlights included “Bubu (Mestele),” snippets of SOPHIE’s “Take Me to Dubai” and a Charli XCX “b2b” mix by Solojomo.
Hernandez moved constantly behind the booth, successfully building the crowd’s energy. The biggest moment of curiosity came when he played a yet-to-be-released Petras track — presumably titled “Korea” — from her upcoming album.
The song unfolded as a soft, ballad-like tune layered with airy synths and a steady beat that gradually swelled toward its finale.
Kim Petras performs at Castro Theatre in San Francisco on March 15, 2026.
Kim Petras performs at Castro Theatre in San Francisco on March 15, 2026.
Kim Petras performs at Castro Theatre in San Francisco on March 15, 2026.
Kim Petras performs at Castro Theatre in San Francisco on March 15, 2026.
Kim Petras performs at Castro Theatre in San Francisco on March 15, 2026.
Kim Petras performs at Castro Theatre in San Francisco on March 15, 2026.
Kim Petras performs at Castro Theatre in San Francisco on March 15, 2026.
Kim Petras performs at Castro Theatre in San Francisco on March 15, 2026.
Kim Petras performs at Castro Theatre in San Francisco on March 15, 2026.
Kim Petras performs at Castro Theatre in San Francisco on March 15, 2026.
Kim Petras performs at Castro Theatre in San Francisco on March 15, 2026.
Kim Petras performs at Castro Theatre in San Francisco on March 15, 2026.
Kim Petras performs at Castro Theatre in San Francisco on March 15, 2026.
Kim Petras performs at Castro Theatre in San Francisco on March 15, 2026.
Kim Petras performs at Castro Theatre in San Francisco on March 15, 2026.
Brownskinhazel performs at Castro Theatre in San Francisco on March 15, 2026.
Brownskinhazel performs at Castro Theatre in San Francisco on March 15, 2026.
Follow writer Vera Maksymiuk at Twitter.com/veramaksymiuk.
About The Author
Vera Maksymiuk is a Polish American photographer and writer. She’s written for the Stanford Daily, The Red Wheelbarrow and most recently, the San Francisco chapter of Her Campus. She is also a published poet.
Vera Maksymiuk is a Polish American photographer and writer. She’s written for the Stanford Daily, The Red Wheelbarrow and most recently, the San Francisco chapter of Her Campus. She is also a published poet.
Starr Lee made the jump into concert photography to combine a longtime love of live music and the joy of doing her best to give people FOMO through an image. She’s focused on R&B, hip-hop, and pop music.