Comedian Peter Kay was forced to leave the stage mid-performance after a suspicious bag prompted a police response and evacuation at a Birmingham venue.The incident occurred at the Utilita Arena on Friday evening, about 45 minutes into Kay’s show, when the show suddenly stopped and the audience asked to leave.West Midlands Police later confirmed the scene had been searched and a 19-year-old man taken into custody. Arena officials said the building was evacuated as a precaution and was later declared safe.
At first, many in the audience thought the boycott was part of the action before the situation became clear.Steve Aspinall, who traveled from Devon with his wife to attend the show, described how events unfolded.He told BBC News: “Two men came on stage, one of them was wearing headphones and a microphone and the other whispered in his ear and took him off the stage.”He said the audience was then informed that the show could not go ahead.“We were told that due to unforeseen circumstances, we were unable to continue the party and listen to announcements,” he said.Aspinall added that the initial confusion quickly gave way to anxiety as people began to leave the square.
“At first, I and many others thought it was part of the show, but then the lights came up and everyone started walking out,” he said.“Because we’re in this day and age, I said to my wife, ‘I don’t know if it was a bomb threat, but the fact that they didn’t say anything means no one panicked.’Videos circulated on social media showed large crowds leaving the 15,000-person arena, while several police cars and riot control vehicles were seen arriving at the scene.In a post on X, the venue said: “The safety and security of our customers and colleagues is our top priority.”She added that ticket holders will be contacted directly to provide them with more information.Kai is scheduled to perform at the arena again at 20:00 on Saturday as part of his concert Better late than never a trip.The incident comes a day after the terrorist threat level in the United Kingdom was raised from “substantial” to “severe” following a stabbing incident in Golders Green, north London.Police said investigations into the Birmingham incident are continuing.
