Comic to host arena-sized 'dance-a-thon parties'

Peter Kay is to DJ a series of 'dance-a-thon parties' around the UK next year.

The three-hour discos will be held in some of the country's biggest arenas, with all the profits going to Cancer Research UK.

Each gig will take place on a Saturday night, with the venues transformed into enormous dance floors, for 'DJ PK' to entertain around 7,000 a night. Tickets are £25 each and Kay says 'fancy dress is optional'.

The comic explained: 'It's like Race For Life, but it's dancing.'

'I was talking to some parents at school and they were saying they don't go dancing any more, they just go just every two years at a wedding for 20 minutes. And I just said, "Why can't we have a good night out and have a three hour danceathon?"'

'I'm gonna be playing Abba, Wham!, Kylie, Whitney, Michael Jackson, Five, S Club, Daft Punk, Take That, Bucks Fizz, Nolans, Prince, Queen, Bon Jovi, I could go on… We're not being snobby, we're not being snobby, about the music.

Kay announced the news on Chris Evans's Radio 2 this morning, telling the host that one of his friends was having her hen do at the shows, but adding: 'It's open to men and women, not just women, it's unisex. That's what that's called, unisex.'

Evans offered to host a segment of the evening as a guest DJ, and added of Kay: 'Give the guy a knighthood!'

A spokesperson for the event organiser's SJM Concerts said: 'We've never been part of anything like this before. It's a unique, positive challenge that Peter is organising and will raise a lot of money for Cancer Research UK.'

Participants are also being encouraged to get sponsorship, or to dedicate their night out in support or memory of family and friends.

Peter Kay's Dance For Life will be at the following venues:

Saturday 30th January: Bournemouth International Centre
Saturday 6th February: Newcastle Metro Radio Arena
Saturday 27th February: Cardiff Motorpoint Arena
Saturday 5th March: Aberdeen AECC
Saturday 26th March: Liverpool Echo Arena
Saturday 16th April: Belfast The SSE Arena
Saturday 23rd April: Birmingham Barclaycard Arena

Of not playing the capital, Kay said: 'London's a bit scary. We were going to do Wembley Arena so we'll see how it goes.'

Tickets – which are for over-18s only – go on sale on Thursday.

Published: 1 Dec 2015