British Comedian Peter Kay Rushed Off Stage as 16,000 Seat Utilita Arena Crowd in Birmingham Evacuated Due to Suspicious Bag; 19-Year-Old Man in Custody
Comedian Peter Kay was reportedly rushed off stage about 45 minutes into a show at the 16,000-seat Utilita Arena in Birmingham, England, on Friday night, and the audience evacuated after a suspicious bag was found. Birmingham police reported a 19-year-old man is in custody.
Kay was playing the first of a two-night stand at the arena in Birmingham as part of a tour of the U.K. and Ireland to benefit the fight against cancer, with all profits dedicated to British and Irish cancer charities.
The fun before the show:
And we’re in! Birmingham Utilita Arena to see Peter Kay pic.twitter.com/ZFmDWoGFFs
— Steve Aspinall (@SteveyAsp) May 1, 2026
Video of stage announcement the show was being ended early after Peter Kay was abruptly taken off stage:
Peter Kay pic.twitter.com/GXhfOKelJ2
— Richard Neville (@Richard05114030) May 1, 2026
Statement by Utilita Arena Birmingham: “Utilita Arena Birmingham has been evacuated as a precaution on the advice of West Midlands Police after a potential suspicious bag was found nearby. The safety and security of our customers and colleagues is our highest priority. We can confirm that everyone was safely evacuated and that the venue is secure. Ticket holders will be contacted directly in due course.”
Utilita Arena Birmingham Update pic.twitter.com/x2Buij7oSj
— Utilita Arena Birmingham (@UtilitaArenaBHM) May 1, 2026
Statement by the Birmingham police: We are carrying out 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.”
#UPDATE | We are carrying out 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. pic.twitter.com/54zjZ0QqkH
— Birmingham Police (@BrumPolice) May 1, 2026
Video report by GB News:
‘The site is currently subject to a search.’
GB News National Reporter Jack Carson speaks live from Birmingham, following the Utilita Arena being evacuated following a ‘suspicious bag’ being found. pic.twitter.com/adZ3B11Ids
— GB News (@GBNEWS) May 1, 2026
Videos of the evacuation:
Unbelievable
Comedian Peter Kay has been rushed off stage mid-performance at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena
This is what we’ve imported into the UK, where we always have to fear 24/7 for our lives all in the name of being diverse and multicultural
Garbage pic.twitter.com/NDEqheoK81
— Zee (@Zeeeee_xx) May 1, 2026
Being evacuated from the Peter Kay gig in Birmingham. No information as to why pic.twitter.com/Vc5vG5pwzy
— Rob Knowles (@raknowles) May 1, 2026
1i 20217, a concert in Manchester, England, by pop star Ariana Grande was attacked by a Muslim suicide bomber (Wikipedia excerpt):
Twenty-two people were killed and 1,017 injured in an Islamic terrorist suicide bombing in Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, on 22 May 2017. The attack was perpetrated by Islamic extremist Salman Abedi and aided by his brother, Hashem Abedi, at 22:31 following a concert by the American pop singer Ariana Grande. It was the deadliest act of terrorism and the first suicide bombing in the United Kingdom since the 7 July 2005 London bombings.
Carrying a large backpack, Abedi detonated an improvised explosive device containing triacetone triperoxide (TATP) and nuts and bolts serving as shrapnel. After initial suspicions of a terrorist network, police later said they believed Abedi had largely acted alone, but that others had been aware of his plans. In 2020, Hashem Abedi was tried and convicted for murder, attempted murder and conspiracy, and he was sentenced to life imprisonment in August 2020 with a minimum term of 55 years, the longest ever imposed by a British court. A public inquiry released in 2021 found that ‘more should have been done’ by British police to stop the attack, while MI5 admitted it acted too slowly in dealing with Abedi.
Last Saturday, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance were rushed from the dais of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C. after a gunman tried to storm the Washington Hilton ballroom where the dinner was being held.
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