Hard rock band Amyl and the Sniffers has shouted thousands of free drinks for fans after a gig was shut down over safety fears.

The Melbourne-based outfit was due to play a free, all-ages show at Federation Square.

But the event was cancelled minutes before lead singer Amy Taylor and her band mates were due to hit the stage, with The Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation which operates Fed Square, reportedly saying there had been multiple breaches of security barriers.

The group took to social media to express its disappointment.

"Hello Fed Square and everybody who came to show up, we're so f**king sorry that we couldn't play," Taylor said in an Instagram post .

"We genuinely felt really bad, like from the gut, from everything, it sucks to not be able to play in our hometown for free."

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