Peter Kay’s stand-up show at the Utilita Arena Birmingham was brought to an abrupt halt on Friday night (1 May) after West Midlands Police discovered a “potential suspicious bag” at the venue. A 19-year-old man is in custody and, as a precaution, the site is currently the subject of a search. At this time, police have not described the incident as terror-related.
The comedian had been on stage for around 45 minutes when a member of the production team walked out to tell the audience the show would not be continuing. Eyewitnesses said no explanation was given at the time, with one audience member posting on X: “No announcement, just told to leave.” Another shared footage of the evacuation, writing: “Being evacuated from the Peter Kay gig in Birmingham. No information as to why.” A third posted: “Peter Kay gig in Birmingham has been cancelled 45mins in. Peter bundled off stage and the venue evacuated. Police on site. Stay safe, Birmingham.”
West Midlands Police issued a statement at 21:30, saying: “We are assisting with an evacuation at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham after a potential suspicious bag was found. A 19-year-old man is in custody and as a precaution the site is currently subject of a search. We will provide further updates when we can.”
Friday’s evacuation came just one day after the UK’s terrorism threat level was raised to “severe” by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC), meaning a terror attack is considered “highly likely” in the next six months. Police have not said the Birmingham incident is connected to the raised threat level. The increase was announced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood on Thursday 30 April, following a stabbing attack in Golders Green, north London, which Mahmood described as “a vile act of terrorism.”
West Midlands Police had issued a statement earlier on Friday confirming they were increasing their visible presence at key sites across the region, including a mix of armed and unarmed officers, in response to the raised threat level. The force said there was “no specific intelligence or information regarding a threat within the West Midlands” but urged the public to “remain alert but not alarmed.”
Despite the abrupt end to the evening, eyewitnesses reported that the crowd of thousands left quickly and calmly. One fan wrote on X: “So not the evening we expected. Evacuated from Birmingham Utilita. Peter Kay brilliant for 45 mins then some p**** has to ruin it. All out safe and quickly.”
The show forms part of Peter Kay’s ongoing national tour, now in its fourth record-breaking year and widely described as one of the most successful live runs in British comedy tour history. Tickets for Friday’s Birmingham date were priced between £35 and £135, with all profits being donated to 12 leading cancer charities, including the Teenage Cancer Trust, Bowel Cancer UK, Blood Cancer UK, and Breast Cancer Now. Full details on the charitable beneficiaries can be found at peterkay.co.uk/charities.
Peter Kay is scheduled to return to the Utilita Arena Birmingham the following night, Saturday 2 May. No statement has yet been issued by Peter Kay or his management team.
Image credits: Elliot Brown / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
In this article: Peter Kay, Arena Birmingham, West Midlands Police, Teenage Cancer Trust, Bowel Cancer UK, Blood Cancer UK, Breast Cancer Now, Children with Cancer UK, Kidney Cancer UK, Prostate Cancer UK, Ovarian Cancer Action, Pancreatic Cancer UK, Anthony Nolan, Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust, Birmingham. Generated by Wikidata Schema Link Builder.
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