Comedian Peter Kay delivered an unexpected aerial spectacle at London's O2 Arena on Friday night, closing his 49th stand-up show of the record-breaking Better Late Than Never tour with a surprise finale that saw him fly above the audience. The 53-year-old, known for his observational humour about British culture, returned to the stadium as part of his four-year-long national tour, which began in December 2022 in Manchester, ending a 12-year hiatus from touring.
A Surprise Finale with Shovel Guitars and Deepfakes
After a two-and-a-half-hour show, Kay reappeared on stage, initially 'playing' a two-handled shovel-guitar. He then performed a medley of songs and remixed classic advertising jingles, including AC/DC's 'Highway to Hell' and the Mars bar slogan 'A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play'. During the performance, his face was deepfaked to resemble Oasis's Noel Gallagher. He later reappeared in a pink polka-dot suit, wielding an upgraded three-shovel guitar.
The climax saw Kay lifted into the air on a makeshift stand adorned with dozens of fake balloons, imitating David Blaine's 2020 live-streamed Ascension stunt. Strumming a sparkly triple-shovel guitar, he belted out songs and TV jingles, including the Scooby Doo theme, the Neighbours theme, and Cadbury's 70s 'A Finger Of Fudge' advert. Audiences were on their feet, singing along as Kay flew over the arena, with sparklers and multicoloured confetti completing the spectacle.
Previous Incident in Birmingham
The show comes months after Kay was ushered off stage mid-performance at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham in May, when the audience was evacuated following a report of a 'suspicious bag'. West Midlands Police later confirmed that 'nothing suspicious was found' during searches. A 19-year-old man, Omar Majed, of Saltley, Birmingham, was subsequently charged over an alleged bomb hoax, with a trial scheduled for November 3.
Tour Finale and Charitable Donations
The tour is due to conclude in November at Blackpool's Opera House. All proceeds from Kay's 2026 shows will be donated to 12 cancer charities, including Children With Cancer UK, Teenage Cancer Trust, Kidney Cancer UK, Prostate Cancer UK, and Ovarian Cancer Action. This is his first live tour since 2010, when he set a Guinness World Record for the biggest selling run of all time, performing to more than 1.2 million people. He had planned to tour in 2018 but had to cancel due to 'unforeseen family circumstances'.
Career Highlights and Emerging Talent
Kay became a national favourite following his early 2000s TV creation Phoenix Nights and has starred in other sitcoms, including Peter Kay's Car Share. Earlier in the show, he brought out emerging singer-songwriter Emily Rhodes, who has worked as a member of his crew for the past three years, to perform her newly released single, 'Famous To Me'.
