British comedian Peter Kay evacuates mid-show as ‘suspicious bag’ triggers alarm at Birmingham Arena

Comedian Peter Kay was forced to leave the stage mid-show after a suspicious bag prompted a police response and the evacuation of a Birmingham venue.The incident occurred at Utilita Arena on Friday night, about 45 minutes into Kay’s set, 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 was detained. Arena officials said the building was cleared as a precaution and later declared safe.At first, before the situation became clear, many in the crowd thought the interruption was part of the act.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 with headphones and a microphone and the other whispered in his ear and drove him off the stage.”He said the audience was then told the show could not go ahead.“We were told that due to unforeseen circumstances the show could not go ahead and therefore the announcement would not be possible,” he said.Aspinall added that initial confusion quickly turned to concern as people began to leave the arena.“At first, I and many others thought it was part of the show, but then the lights came on and everyone started filing out,” he said.“Because in this day and age, I did say to my wife, I don’t know if this was a bomb threat, but the fact that they didn’t say anything meant that no one panicked.”Videos shared on social media showed large crowds leaving the 15,000-capacity stadium, while several police and riot vans were seen arriving at the scene.“The safety of our customers and colleagues is our top priority,” the venue said in a post on X.It added that ticket holders will be contacted directly for further information.Kay will perform again at the Arena on Saturday at 20:00 as part of his set Better late than never travel.The incident came a day after a stabbing in Golders Green, north London, and the UK’s terror threat level was raised from “severe” to “severe”.Police said an investigation into the incident in Birmingham was ongoing.