Peter Kay - Better Late Than Never Review

★☆☆☆☆

Suppose you’re heading to the Utilita Arena Birmingham for Peter Kay’s 2025 Better Late Than Never tour, hoping for a night full of belly laughs, sharp stand-up, and cutting-edge comedy. In that case, you may find yourself a little underwhelmed. 

What unfolds is less of a live comedy performance and more of a nostalgia-drenched chat show with a few sketches thrown in. Yes, there are recognisable routines, warm throwbacks, and moments that remind us why Peter Kay was once one of the country’s most beloved comedians, but there’s also a nagging sense that someone with his talent should have delivered far more than this. With a tour billed as a comeback, the bar was set high, but unfortunately, the humour often feels flat, the pace drags, and the charm of familiar faces can’t quite save the night.

From the moment Kay walks on stage after picking up chocolates thrown by the audience (but most certainly planted there), you know this isn’t going to be a standard stand-up gig. He launches into a medley of 50-year-old chocolate adverts, singing jingles back and forth with the crowd; a nostalgic gambit, sure, but one with very few jokes. What might have worked in a TV special or a short sketch feels stretched out under the arena lights. The participation from the audience is sweet, but ultimately joke-light, and the laughter never builds into the kind of laughter wave you expect from a live comedy show.

There are times when his warmth and persona shine through and give you glimpses of the Peter Kay you remember, the storyteller, the genial northerner, the guy with brilliant timing. But for long stretches, he’s doing more talking than joking. He riffs on memories, but many anecdotes meander and never land, or seemingly go nowhere. He teases punchlines that don’t arrive and scratches for material.

The production is slick, with good lighting, music cues, and production values befitting a major arena tour. But the format feels misaligned: it’s not a stand-up show, an in-conversation show, or a sketch show. Someone like Kay, with such a sharp comedic mind, should display better crafting than this. The jokes feel like the early scrapings of an Edinburgh preview as a comic tries to find their feet. And yet, almost 3 years into this mammoth tour, this should be firing on all cylinders and hitting with precision. It almost feels like he is bored with the material.

In his defence, when he lands a joke or leans into an old favourite, it’s genuinely sweet and often entertaining. The audience's warmth is genuine. You can tell people are delighted to be there, to see him after his time away, and some of that sentiment makes up for the weaker patches. But sentiment isn’t enough to carry an entire show, especially for a veteran comedian whose name alone has drawn thousands into the arena. But it is underwhelming. It’s a fluffier, softer Peter Kay than the razor-sharp stand-up force he once was. This feels like being dragged on a trip down memory lane, forced to giggle at absurdity, not a full-throated return to comedy glory.

To his credit, Kay does revisit some of his classic routines and stories, and those moments are enjoyable. The misheard-lyrics sketch makes a return in the first encore, bringing a spark of the old magic back. But these highlights are too few and far between. I counted five genuine laughs out loud in the entire two-hour (plus) performance; fewer than I’d hoped for from a comedian of his stature.

The second encore sees Kay soaring above the audience on a balloon float, singing TV theme tunes with a cheeky grin. It’s playful and imaginative, but it feels more like he’s entertaining himself rather than carrying the audience with him. It’s a fun stunt, for sure, but after 30 seconds, the audience is clock watching, desperate to get the last train home. 

If you’re a long-time fan, seeing Peter Kay live again has its charm, especially in a big venue like Birmingham. But if you’re expecting a brand-new, high-energy stand-up show or a set built around fresh material, you will find yourself wanting more. For an icon like Peter Kay, this is a disappointment. Let’s hope that as the tour continues, he tightens the reins, leans into the laughs, and gives us the comeback we’ve been waiting for—not just an echo of what once was.