Why were Peter Kay's Manchester shows cancelled? Comedian says he is 'gutted' after Co-op Live gigs get rescheduled

On Monday, April 22, Peter Kay took to his social media handles to share the news of his upcoming gigs in Manchester's Co-op Live being canceled. The shows, which were scheduled for April 23 and 2, have been rescheduled at the same venue for April 29 and 30.

The reason behind Peter Kay's shows being rescheduled was that the venue's testing was not completed within the expected timeframe.

In a statement released by Co-op Live, Kay shared:

"I'm truly gutted as I know how disappointing this will be for everyone with tickets, but obviously it's a brand-new venue and it's important that everything is finished and safe for full capacity audiences."

Talking about the new dates for his shows following the rescheduling process, the stand-up comedian said how he would have to miss his Bums &Tums class but "hopefully I'll see you soon."

The news of Kay's shows being rescheduled created an uproar among his fans, especially those with their tickets already purchased. Many of them commented on the post, expressing their disapproval of the inconvenience it had created for them. Here are some X reactions for the same:

The Co-op Live also announced that those who have already purchased the ticket and might not be able to attend the show on rescheduled dates will receive a full refund for the same, including the parking.

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Peter Kay's Co-op Live gigs were rescheduled due to delay in venue's testing

Co-op Live Official Welcome Ceremony In Manchester (Image via Getty/ Jeff Spicer)

In its statement about rescheduling Peter Kay's gigs in the Co-op Live, the entertainment arena also disclosed why it had to be done, saying:

"It is critical to ensure that we have a consistent power supply to our fully electric sustainable venue, the completion of which is running a few days behind. Rescheduling gives us the extra time we need to continue testing thoroughly. This is vital to satisfy the rigorous set of guidelines and protocols that are necessary for a venue of this size."

The indoor entertainment arena, which was previously scheduled to open on April 23, will offer seating to 23,500 people, making it the largest maximum capacity indoor arena in all of the United Kingdom, surpassing the Manchester Arena, which seats 21,000 people.

With Peter Kay's shows moved ahead, Co-op Live's grand opening event will also take place on April 29. However, The Black Keys will be hosted in the arena on April 27 with an audience of 10,000, as planned as they "continue to test the resilience of the venue and its operations."

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Peter Kay's Co-op Live gigs are part of his comeback tour 'Better Late Than Never'

Queen Elizabeth meeting Peter Kay at the Royal Variety - 2009 (Image via Getty/eon Neal)

Peter Kay is currently in the middle of his third live stand-up tour - Better Late Than Never - which started on December 16, 2022, and is expected to end on December 5, 2025. In this three-year-long tour, Peter Kay will be performing in 13 different venues, including Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, Belfast, Dublin, Liverpool, Nottingham, Glasgow, and Newcastle upon Tyne.

Better Late Than Never also marks Peter Kay's comeback in the comedy industry after 12 years, since his last scheduled tour - Have Gags, Will Travel (2018-2019) - was canceled in 2017. At the time, the stand-up comedian had announced canceling all future projects due to "unforeseen family circumstances."

Aside from his canceled tour, Peter Kay has done two live stand-up comedy tours in his career. The first one - Mum Wants a Bungalow Tour - had 89 dates between 2002-2003, followed by The Tour That Doesn't Tour Tour... Now on Tour between 2010-2011. Peter Kay sold over one million tickets in the latter.