‘Internet-breaking’ Peter Kay Live tour cancelled
British comedian Peter Kay has cancelled his upcoming Peter Kay Live UK arena tour, his first in eight years, citing “unforeseen family circumstances”.
The highly anticipated tour, promoted by SJM Concerts, was reported to have ‘broken the internet’ when tickets went on sale on 19 November due to phenomenal demand.
In statement released today, Kay says: “Due to unforeseen family circumstances I deeply regret that I am having to cancel all of my upcoming work projects. This unfortunately includes my upcoming stand-up tour, Dance for Life shows and any outstanding live work commitments.
“My sincerest apologies. This decision has not been taken lightly and I’m sure you’ll understand my family must always come first.
“Due to unforeseen family circumstances I deeply regret that I am having to cancel all of my upcoming work projects”
“I’ve always endeavoured to protect my family’s privacy from the media. I hope that the media and the public will continue to respect our privacy at this time. Once again I’m very sorry.”
SJM says all ticket holders will be refunded at the original point of purchase.
Kay’s 2010–11 tour of the UK and Republic of Ireland, The Tour That Doesn’t Tour Tour…Now On Tour, sold more than one million tickets, making its way into the Guinness Book of Records for the most successful stand-up comedy tour of all time.
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“A phenomenal success”: We are Manchester unites a city
Music returned to Manchester Arena for the first time since May on Saturday, as a capacity crowd turned out for We are Manchester, a benefit concert that marked the reopening of the venue and raised funds for a memorial to the victims of 22 May’s bombing.
James Allen, general manager of the 21,000-cap. venue, says the show was a “phenomenal success and this was down to the commitment of everyone involved, from the amazing artists to the dedicated arena teams, production and emergency services.
“However, it was the people who attended on the night representing Manchester who embraced the spirit of the event, and showed the strength that Manchester has – and that the arena is truly a part of the Manchester community.”
As with Eagles of Death Metal’s return to Paris, the concert – organised by the arena’s operator, SMG Europe – opened not with a minute’s silence, but a ‘minute of noise’, conducted by poet Longfella:
Poet Tony Walsh opens the #WeAreManchester concert #HeartNews pic.twitter.com/MBSUTYwIcX
— North West News (@HeartNWNews) September 9, 2017
Other performances included the Courteeners, Blossoms, Rick Astley, Bugzy Malone, Pixie Lott, comedian Peter Kay and headliner Noel Gallagher, who shed a tear before performing Oasis’s ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ – a song which has become symbolic of the city’s resilience, and was performed by Coldplay and Ariana Grande at June’s One Love Manchester concert.
The arena has been closed since 22 May, when a Muslim suicide bomber, Salman Ramadan Abedi, detonated an improvised device outside its foyer after a show by Grande, killing 22.
Security for the reopening was provided by Showsec, with Kay – a former arena steward – wearing a yellow Showsec jacket on stage. The company describes the event as marking both a “new era for the rejuvenated Manchester Arena” and a chance for its stewards to “settle in and feel comfortable working at the venue once again”.
Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, appeared before the show and read out the names of all those who lost their lives in the attack. “Thank you for being who you are,” he told concertgoers. “We are Manchester, a city united. Nothing will ever change us. Nothing will ever divide us.”
“We have had to come back to show defiance, to show we are not scared and we don’t want Manchester to be scared”
Those injured in the attack, along with families who lost loved ones, were among those in attendance at the show.
Charlotte Campbell, whose 15-year-old daughter, Olivia, was killed in the attack, told the Press Association: “It feels surreal at the minute. We have had to come back to show defiance, to show we are not scared and we don’t want Manchester to be scared.
“Music was Olivia’s life. If she had been still here today she would have been walking through those doors with us, showing her defiance, that they may have got her but she’s not beaten. She’s here with us. It’s a massive mix of emotions, there will be tears, there will be laughter, but the main thing is we are here. We have proved no one is going to beat us.”
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