A PROMISING band who died when their car plunged off a bridge in Sweden were due to play in Brighton on Friday.

All four members of the band Viola Beach, aged 19 to 27, were killed along with their manager as they made their way back to the UK.

They were due to support band Blossoms at Concorde 2 on Friday and were also booked to play Brighton and Hove’s festival promoting new music, The Great Escape, in May.

Band members Kris Leonard, 19, River Reeves, 19, Tomas Lowe, 27, and Jack Dakin, 24, along with manager Craig Tarry, 32, were in a Nissan Qashqai that went through the barrier of a bridge which had opened to let a boat pass underneath in the early hours of Saturday.

The car fell more than 25 metres into a canal near Stockholm.

Tributes flooded in yesterday including from the owners of Concorde 2.

In a statement on their Twitter feed, they said “Our thoughts are with the friends, families and work colleagues of Viola Beach.

“Devastating news and a tragic loss of such talented young men.”

Blossoms cancelled their show in Guildford on Saturday. It is not clear if the Brighton show will go ahead on Friday.

The band said on their Facebook page they were absolutely devastated.

They added: "Such genuine, lovely lads. Our thoughts are with their friends and families”.

Fans also paid tribute with James Dopson writing on Twitter.

He said: "We were meant to see them with Blossoms on Friday. So sad."

Rob Hudson added: "Saw them in Brighton supporting Eliza and the Bear, good music, so sad."

Eliza and the Bear performed with Viola Beach at The Haunt in October.

They said on Twitter: "It was pleasure to get to know the guys".

The bridge, between the E4 and the E20 motorways, has a middle section that rises directly upwards without tilting, leaving a gap that the car drove into.

The Swedish police said the barrier, 50m before the opening, has flashing lights and signs warning there is a bridge opening.

Inspector Martin Bergholm said: "For some reason, the car drove through the barriers and crashed down into the canal."

In a statement, the family of Mr Reeves, 19, said: "All River wanted to do was perform and entertain and to think that he will never make us laugh again with his ridiculous impressions and cheeky banter is beyond comprehension for all his family."

Mr Tarry's family said they were "devastated" and "grieving the loss of their son and also for the other families involved in this tragic accident."