Tropical Cyclone Alfred: Green Day cancels Gold Coast concert as storm threatens off coast

Punk rock outfit Green Day has cut its Australian tour short, cancelling their Gold Coast concert due to the looming tropical cyclone.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred is currently a category two system located 600km east of Brisbane.

It is expected to turn towards Queensland on Tuesday evening and cross the coast late on Thursday or early Friday.

“Hey Australia, unfortunately due to circumstances out of our control, (Wednesday’s) Gold Coast show has been cancelled,” the band behind American Idiot and Boulevard of Broken Dreams wrote on Instagram.

“With Cyclone Alfred bringing some seriously nasty weather, it’s just not possible to go ahead safely.

“We know this is a huge disappointment, and we’re just as bummed as you are. Stay safe out there!”

The show at Cbus Super Stadium was the final performance of the Australian leg of their Saviors Tour, having already played to fans in Melbourne and Sydney.

“Cbus Super Stadium has been advised that the Green Day Saviors concert has been cancelled due to the extreme weather conditions forecast,” the venue said.

“We know how excited fans were for the concert and we share your disappointment.

“Concert organisers explored every opportunity to go ahead with the event, but the safety and travel certainty of concert goers, performers and staff cannot be ensured under current conditions.”

The venue said Ticketmaster will contact ticket holders about refunds.

Frustrated fans questioned whether the concert could have been rescheduled or moved, rather than cancelled.

“We’ve now been cancelled on twice and can’t do anything about it,” one fan said.

“It unfair that we have to wait...4-5 years again, have some sympathy.”

Tropical Cyclone Alfred prompted the NRL to move Friday’s Dolphins and South Sydney clash out of Brisbane, while the AFL has postponed their opening-round Queensland fixtures.

That includes Brisbane and Geelong at the Gabba on Thursday and Saturday afternoon’s Gold Coast-Essendon match.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred is expected to trigger destructive winds, heavy rainfall and flooding as it approaches.

The worst of Alfred’s impact once it makes landfall will hit the state’s southern flank, including Brisbane, the Gold Coast and NSW’s Northern Rivers which has only just recovered from deadly floods three years ago.

The prime minister was set to fly into Brisbane on Tuesday night, with the federal disaster response plan activated and a crisis coordination team to be deployed as the region braces for impact.

Communities in the firing line stepped up preparations on Tuesday, with many queuing for hours at sandbagging sites.

About 150,000 sandbags have been collected in the past three days across southeast Queensland.

Supermarket shelves have been stripped bare in some stores amid panic buying, prompting the state government to allow grocers to trade 24/7 in 21 local government areas.

- With AAP