Comedian Peter Kay was ushered off stage mid-performance and the audience evacuated after a potential suspicious bag was found at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham. Police confirmed a 19-year-old man is being held in custody following the incident on Friday evening.
Performance Halted Abruptly
Witnesses reported that two staff members approached the stage approximately 45 minutes into the show, whispered to Kay, and promptly escorted him off. Steve Aspinall, who attended with his wife, described the scene: Two guys came on, one with a mic and headphones, one guy whispered to Peter Kay and then he and Peter Kay shot off down the side. The audience was instructed to locate security guards and await further announcements.
Aspinall admitted initial confusion, saying, To be honest, I thought it was part of the show at first. It was a strange atmosphere, eerie, just confused really about what was happening. But it was alright and everyone was calm and left quite quickly with no panic.
Swift Evacuation
Miranda Richardson, a 52-year-old pub landlady from Northampton, noted the rapid response: It was very swift. One minute he is on stage and the gig is great, then two of the event team walk on stage straight to him, quick word and he is ushered off. Staff then announced an immediate evacuation due to unforeseen circumstances. She added that word quickly spread about a claimed abandoned bag.
West Midlands Police stated the venue is being searched as a precaution. An NEC spokesperson confirmed the evacuation: 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 everyone was safely evacuated and that the venue is secure. Ticket holders will be contacted directly in due course.
