German Rock am Ring festival resumes after terrorist threat

June 3 (UPI) -- Organizers for Germany's Rock am Ring said the music festival will continue on Saturday afternoon after being evacuated due to a terrorist threat.

A post on Rock am Ring's Facebook page announced the festival "will go on" for its second day after authorities cleared the threat.

"After intensive searches and sweeps of the complete festival site by the police the suspicion of a potential terrorist threat has not been confirmed," the festival said.

Fans were instructed to leave the festival grounds in a "calm and controlled" manner on Friday after police said it was "impossible to rule out a terror threat."

Organizers estimated 175,000 people attended the festival held near the Nurburgring race track, which is considered one of Germany's largest and was scheduled to run from Friday through Sunday.

Security at the festival had been increased following the bombing that killed 22 people at England's Manchester Arena during an Ariana Grande concert in May.

"Because of the last attack on a concert in Manchester, the security concept for Rock am Ring was modified in advance and the number of security officers was significantly increased to around 1,200," Koblenz police said. "Since a threat could not be ruled out, all necessary measures were taken immediately."

German punk band Die Toten Hosen is scheduled to headline Saturday night as the festival resumes and Armenian-American heavy metal band System of a Down are set to close the festival on Sunday.

"Set up for day two of Rock am Ring has commenced and the program is going to be resumed in the early afternoon," the festival said. "The incredibly disciplined fans deserve all our respect and gratitude."

Rock am Ring's final day was canceled in 2016 after at least 80 people were injured by lightning during a storm.