A 19-year-man has been arrested and the area is being searched as a precaution.
“We are carrying out an evacuation at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham after a potential suspicious bag was found,” West Midlands Police said.
“A 19-year-old man is in custody and as a precaution the site is currently subject of a search.”
An audience member said on X that the comedian had “just been dragged off stage abruptly and we’ve all been hurried out”.
Another wrote: “That’s weird 45 mins into the show, Peter Kay got rushed off stage and we’ve been told to leave the arena.”
Geoff Marston, from Kettering, said Kay was taken off by floor managers and the audience was ushered away from the building towards the canal.
He said nearby roads were gridlocked and security staff wouldn’t tell them what had happened.
The show is believed to have been cancelled following the alert, which happened around 8.45pm.
Kay is also scheduled to play in the city on Saturday night.
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