British rocker Damon Albarn's show in Sydney, Australia on Monday night (15Dec14) was cancelled amid a dramatic hostage-taking in the city.

A number of streets in central Sydney were evacuated on Monday morning and packed with armed police after a gunman took over a cafe, holding members of the public hostage.

As the drama unfolded, bosses at the iconic Sydney Opera House venue announced the cancellation of the day's events, including a planned gig by Blur frontman Albarn.

A statement posted on the venue's Facebook.com page reads, "In light of the situation in the Cbd (central business district) today, we have decided to cancel tonight's performances at the Opera House. This is to minimise pressure on transport networks and to provide as much notice as possible to staff and patrons... Damon Albarn has agreed to schedule two performances tomorrow, one at 7pm and the other at 9:30pm. Updated information regarding refunds and exchanges for each of the affected events will be provided on the website."

Other cancelled shows at the Opera House include a performance of The Australian Ballet's The Nutcracker.