A 19-year-old man has been charged with making false communications after a bomb hoax forced comedian Peter Kay to be escorted off stage and the Utilita Arena in Birmingham to be evacuated on Friday night.
Omar Majed, of Washwood Heath, Birmingham, was remanded in custody and will appear before magistrates in Birmingham on May 4, West Midlands Police said.
The show was halted after a report of a suspicious bag, but police later confirmed that nothing suspicious was found. Witnesses described seeing two staff members whisper to Kay before he left the stage.
Steve Aspinall, a concertgoer from Devon, said he initially thought the evacuation was part of the show. He described the atmosphere as eerie but noted that everyone remained calm and left quickly.
In a statement, Utilita Arena Birmingham confirmed that the Saturday evening performance would go ahead as planned, with police satisfied with security measures. The venue thanked attendees for their cooperation and said ticket holders would be contacted about next steps.
The arena emphasised that safety is its top priority, highlighting its use of advanced security systems including AI technology to screen bags and identify potential threats.
