Massive Fire Destroys Festival Main Stage
A reported 1,000 employees were on-site at the time of the blaze, but luckily, no one was hurt.
Tomorrowland 2017 main stage (Credit: Arroser, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
Less than 48 hours before this year’s Tomorrowland festival was set to begin, the main stage burned down. Footage of the blaze has been circulating on social media.
The world-renowned EDM festival is one of the largest and most iconic music festivals in the world, renowned for its elaborate stage designs, impressive lineups, and immersive atmosphere.
NME reports that firefighters are working to control the blaze and stop it from spreading to nearby woodland in Boom, Belgium. Over 70,000 punters were expected to attend the EDM multi-day event this weekend.
A reported 1,000 employees were on-site at the time of the blaze (Wednesday, local time). At the time of publication, the cause of the fire is unknown, but The Mirror notes that fireworks were heard before the blaze broke out, which raises the possibility that there might have been an issue with pyrotechnics.
The Belgian publication GVA added that the main stage had “completely burned down” and emergency services had attended the scene in “large numbers.” People who live in the area have reportedly been told to “keep their windows and doors closed.”
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In a statement posted by Tomorrowland on Wednesday, 8:30 pm local time, festival organisers confirmed that the main stage had been “severely damaged,” but luckily, nobody was hurt as a result of the blaze.
The site will remain open for campers while festival organisers work to find solutions for the festival weekend (18-20 July). The statement concluded with the promise to share more information “as soon as possible.”
Tomorrowland’s statement reads:
IMPORTANT UPDATE
Due to a serious incident and fire on the Tomorrowland Mainstage, our beloved Mainstage has been severely damaged.
We can confirm that no one was injured during the incident.
We can announce that, DreamVille (campsite) will open tomorrow (Thursday, July 17) as planned and will be ready for all DreamVille visitors.
All Global Journey activities in Brussels and Antwerp will take place as planned.
We are focused on finding solutions for the festival weekend (Friday – Saturday – Sunday).
More updates and detailed information will be communicated as soon as possible.
EDM stars, including FISHER, Martin Garrix, Afrojack, Sara Landry, Blasterjaxx, and Armin van Buuren, among others, shared support for the festival, expressing relief that nobody was hurt due to the fire.
In 2023, Tomorrowland was voted the World’s No. 1 Festival in the DJ Mag Top 100 Festivals poll. In 2024, the festival celebrated its 20th anniversary.
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