Peter Kay: is comedian on tour in 2023? Rumours explained amid ‘secret gig’ claims

Peter Kay has reportedly made a return to the world of stand up comedy for the first time in over five years since cancelling his UK tour in December 2017.

It is understood the former Phoenix Nights star performed in a top secret show at a Salford theatre, where he treated his fans to a range of new material.

The secret gig in Salford has fuelled speculation that the Bolton based star could be planning a comeback tour in 2023. Here is everything you need to know.

Who is Peter Kay?

Peter Kay is an English actor, comedy writer and stand up comedian.

Kay was born in Bolton and studied media performance at the University of Salford before working part time as a stand-up comedian. Kay proved to be a talented comic and was awarded the North West comedian of the year award and Channel 4’s So You Think You’re Funny contest in 1997.

As a result of his success, Peter Kay formed a series called That Peter Kay Thing which was a six spoof documentary on Channel 4. The success of this series sparked the spin-off series Phoenix Nights which ran from 2001 until 2002.

Phoenix Nights proved immensely popular during its time on air and helped launch the career of well renowned TV presenter Paddy McGuinness. The pair teamed up once again on another well known sitcom called Max and Paddy’s Road to Nowhere.

By 2005 Kay was at the height of his popularity and he enjoyed further success when he performed a cover of the song Is This the Way to Amarillo. The song was released to help raise money for Children in Need, and reached number one in the UK charts.

After hitting number one in the charts, Kay went on to establish himself as one of the most distinguished stand up comics of his generation, with his stand up comedy tour in 2011 inaugurated into the Guinness Book of Records for selling the most tickets ever at that time.

Why did Peter Kay retire?

In December 2017, Kay made the decision to cancel his upcoming live arena tours. The tour had been scheduled to take place from April 2018 until June 2019.

Kay made a statement at the time on his official website apologising to the fans who had purchased tickets. The statement read: “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 that my family must always come first.”

Is Peter Kay returning to stand up comedy in 2023?

According to various reports and a number of fans on Twitter, Kay performed a top secret show in Salford, where fans got to enjoy some new material from the comedian.

One of the lucky people who saw the performance has claimed on social media that they had a secret ticket collection at the venue and that all mobile devices and electronic devices had to be locked away during the show.

They tweeted: “Omg just been to a secret gig with Peter Kay at The Lowry. Best night of my life ever, that guy is a legend. Phones in locked pouches, secret ticket collection, the lot. Still buzzing.”

They added in a followup tweet: “We felt really lucky. He had been on the night before so not sure how many of these little gigs he is doing but the whole room was giddy. It was brilliant.”

News of the secret gigs has sparked rumours of a potential comeback tour for the Bolton star in 2023, with rumours that he could perform in London’s O2 Arena and Manchester’s AO Arena.

As it stands, neither Kay nor his representatives have made an official statement regarding the speculation.