Rock am Ring evacuated: German music festival suspended due to 'terrorist threat'

Festival to to resume on Saturday after checks reveal no confirmation of threat

Police in Germany suspended the first day of the Rock am Ring music festival after receiving a tip off about a potential terror attack.

The event, one of Germany's best known festivals, was cleared out on Friday evening after police in the nearby city of Koblenz said they had received information about a "concrete threat".

"Due to a terrorist threat the police have advised us to interrupt the festival,” organisers said on the festival website.

The festival was due to resume on Saturday afternoon after "intensive searches" of the site.

A spokesperson for Rock am Ring said: "The suspicion of a potential terrorist threat has not been confirmed by police.The incredibly disciplined fans deserve all our respect and gratitude."

Around 90,000 music fans were expected to attend the annual three-day event by the end of the weekend.

The German band Rammstein was the Friday night headliner, but hadn't yet started playing at the time the evacuation was announced.

“The public reacted fantastically,” organiser Marek Lieberberg said.

Authorities took the precautionary measure less than two weeks after 22 people were killed as they left an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester.

The festival had brought in strict security controls including body searches in the wake of the Manchester suicide bombing, and backpacks and bags were banned.

Some 1,200 uniformed and plains clothes police were drafted in for the event.

Germany has been on high alert since a number of violent attacks last year, including the truck attack on a Berlin Christmas market that left 12 victims dead and dozens of others injured.

Festivalgoers leave the site of the 'Rock am Ring' festival at the Nuerburgring circuit after a terrorist threat warning (EPA)

Rock am Ring was cancelled last year after more than 80 people were injured by lightning strikes during fierce and sudden summer storms.

The German Red Cross said at least 72 people were admitted to hospital after the storm struck.

Of those, eight people were seriously hurt.