Manchester bomb attack: security 'reviewed' at West Midlands's biggest music venues

NEC Group – which runs the 15,700 capacity Genting Arena, the 15,800-capacity Barclaycard Arena, plus the NEC and the ICC, said it was encouraging visitors to 'remain vigilant' and that it liaises with the police on an 'on-going basis'.

The Genting Arena hosted Ariana Grande – whose concert was targeted on Monday in Manchester – on Thursday last week.

Civic Hall in Wolverhampton, which is run by the city council, is currently closed for refurbishment.

Every year more than one million people attend major music events at venues across the West Midlands.

NEC Group chief executive Paul Thandi said: "Our thoughts are with those who were affected by the terrible incident at the Manchester Arena. We’re shocked and saddened by what has happened.

"Public safety at our events is our priority and we have a number of security measures in place which we continue to review.

"We don’t discuss specific security details as doing so is potentially detrimental to these measures, however, we do use a number of different security techniques.

"Our teams – who liaise with the police, exhibition and conference organisers and concert promoters on an on-going basis – are vigilant at all times and review security measures as necessary.

"We encourage those attending our events to also remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to our security staff or police."

Twenty-two people were killed – including children – and 59 injured after an improvised explosive device was detonated by a suicide bomber in the foyer of Manchester Arena after the concert had finished.

The arena and the neighbouring Victoria railway station has been cordoned off.

Terrorists also targeted music venues on the night of the Paris massacre in November 2015 when gunmen opened fire at an Eagles of Death Metal concert at the Bataclan theatre.

Ninety people were killed at the concert and over 200 were wounded.

The venue was closed for around a year before it was reopened after refurbishment.

Take That and Elton John are due to perform at the Genting Arena next month while Linkin Park, Blink 182 and Celin Dion are due to perform at the city centre Barclaycard Arena in the coming months.

Ariana Grande has reportedly postponed the rest of her Dangerous Woman world tour and will not perform her concert in London this week.

She was scheduled to perform in England, Belgium, Poland, Germany and Switzerland.

The Genting Arena, formerly known as the LG Arena, is located next to Resorts World Birmingham on the NEC complex near Birmingham Airport.

It can host shows with audiences from 5,684 to 15,685 and averages more than 100 shows per year with over half a million people through its doors.

It was opened as Birmingham International Arena in December 1980.

It is ranked as 27 in the top 100 arenas in the world.

The Barclaycard Arena, known as the NIA (National Indoor Arena), is based in Birmingham city centre.

It hosts more than 90 major events with half a million visitors through its doors each year.

It can hold events from 2,500 people to 15,800.

It opened in 1991 and had a £26m refurbishment in 2016.