How long are Peter Kay's Better Late Than Never shows? Timings for London The O2 and Leeds shows

Peter Kay will be bringing his hugely successful UK tour to London and Leeds next weekend.

The Bolton comedian returned to the stage for his first arena stand-up tour in 12 years late last year. He had been absent from major stages since 2010. He was due to embark on comeback shows in 2017 but cancelled them and stepped back from the spotlight.

Announced during I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here on ITV, the tour was originally due to run from 2022 to 2023 but has since been extended to 2025. He will perform monthly shows at The O2 in London as part of a residency.

Speaking about the tour, Kay said: “It’s good to get back to what I love doing best, stand-up comedy and if there’s ever a time people need a laugh it’s now. And with the cost of living at an all-time high, ticket prices are starting from £35. The same price they were on my previous tour in 2010.”

The first shows on the ‘Better Late than Never’ tour were in Manchester in December. Here is all you need to know:

When and where is the next Peter Kay show?

Peter Kay’s next stop will be at Utilita Arena in Birmingham on Friday (28 July) and then The O2 arena in London on Saturday (29 July).

He will then take a couple of weeks break, before resuming again in mid-August.

What is the start time in Leeds?

The doors will open at the First Direct Arena at 6.30pm - with the bars and catering opening at 6pm.

Peter Kay will begin his show at 8pm and the curfew is 11pm.

What time does the London show?

According to the venue's website, The O2 doors for the concourse will open at 5.30pm and the doors to the arena open at 6.30pm. The show itself will start at 8pm.

How long are Peter Kay's Better Late Than Never shows?

During each of the shows, the only act who will perform is Peter Kay. There is no support act.

The performance begins at 8pm and the first half will last until 8.45pm. It is followed by a 25 minute interval.

Peter Kay will return at 9.10pm and the second half will continue until 10.15pm.

His performance will last for 1 hour 50 minutes in total.

What do the reviews say?

Peter Kay’s first stand-up tour in 12 years as been received by warm reviews after the first show at the AO Arena in Manchester.

The Guardian gave it four stars, writing: “After 12 years away from the stage, the slimmed-down entertainer is more unapologetically nostalgic than ever.”

The i gave the show four stars and wrote: “A tearful return for comedy’s prodigal son.”

The Telegraph also reviewed the Peter Kay show and gave it four stars, writing: “In his big return to stand-up after a 12-year hiatus, Kay delivers the goods all over again.”

Can you get tickets for the shows ?

Peter Kay’s previous tour was 12 years ago in 2010. A comeback tour was planned for 2017 but scrapped before it began.

Demand for the ‘Better Late than Never’ tour was extremely high. O2 was unable to handle the influx of users on its priority app and website.

Peter Kay has added extra dates through 2023, 2024 and even 2025 in venues such as the AO Arena in Manchester. If you are wondering if tickets are still available for theLiverpool show this weekend, Ticketmaster’s website shows “limited availability” and “low availability”.

If you want to go to the Peter Kay show at the First Direct Arena, Leeds, on Friday, 20 January - there are no tickets available for the show via Ticketmaster.

One fan wrote on Twitter: “What an absolute privilege to be there for Peter Kay’s return to the big stage. He got a standing ovation for his entrance and was reduced to tears, never seen anything like it. No spoilers, just a superb night.”

Another added: “Peter kay came out on stage and everyone gave him a standing ovation for about 5 minutes and he cried and i actually can’t cope.” One user wrote: “I was expecting a huge standing ovation for Peter Kay‘s return, but that was just mega. I felt so privileged to be there tonight. I’ve waited to see him live for so long if you recorded anything, please don’t be a dick sharing it and ruining it for everyone else.”

Is there an age limit for the show?

For the Peter Kay tour the shows have a “strict” age limit of 15+. Children aged 14 and under will not be able to attend the shows.

Where can you park?

On its website, AO Arena explains: “Official parking partners CitiPark operate the on-site car park and has a capacity of 958 spaces, including accessible bays which can be prebooked by visiting their website. On show nights, the car park is manned by an events team who work to ensure that parking at the venue is as simple and easy as possible.

“They conduct regular patrols of the car park and the car park also has the Park Mark award for safety. After the concert, Trinity Way will be closed southbound between Great Ducie Street and Cheetham Hill Road for up to one hour. This is to allow concert-goers to safely exit the venue.

“However, if you’re parking at the official CitiPark car park, you will still be allowed to exit during this closure but you will have to turn right and follow local diversions. We advise anyone with mobility issues to arrive as early as possible and prebook with CitiPark.”

Manchester has a tram system as well as buses, trains and other public transport options.

What are the next Peter Kay shows?

The comedian will be on tour throughout the next three years.