BOOM, Belgium — Just days before the gates were set to open for the iconic Tomorrowland music festival, a devastating fire engulfed and destroyed the festival’s main stage, leaving organisers scrambling to rebuild or adapt ahead of the scheduled opening on Friday.
The blaze erupted around 18:00 local time on Wednesday evening, sending thick plumes of grey smoke over the town of Boom, south of Antwerp.
Firefighters rushed to the scene and battled the flames with support from a police helicopter carrying water. Some residents living nearby were temporarily evacuated as a precaution, but no injuries were reported.
On Thursday, festival organisers held emergency meetings with safety officials and local government representatives to review contingency plans.
At a press conference, Tomorrowland spokesperson Debby Wilmsen confirmed that a new stage is already in the works. “We hope to have a nice, new stage ready by Friday,” she said, noting that even if construction isn’t complete, the festival will proceed—albeit with adjustments.
Organisers announced that the opening day would be delayed by two hours and that, if the new stage isn’t ready, artists originally scheduled to perform on the main stage will instead appear on the Gathering Stage at Dreamville, the festival’s camping area. In such a scenario, campers will be restricted from accessing the full festival grounds until Saturday.
The festival, which expects some 400,000 attendees over two weekends, features world-renowned electronic dance artists including David Guetta, Swedish House Mafia, Charlotte De Witte, and Lost Frequencies. Many fans have already arrived, pitching tents at Dreamville.
Bradley Cooper-Barnard, who drove from London with friends, described the atmosphere as “subdued” compared to past years. “There’s usually music everywhere, but now it’s quite quiet,” he said. “Still, we’ve got our tents set up and we’re going to have a great time come what may.”
On Instagram, organisers expressed their heartbreak over the loss of the Orbyz stage, calling it “a living, breathing world” and adding, “It is impossible to put into words what we’re feeling.”
An employee who had been working on the structure told Belgian media the fire erupted as crews were completing the final touches. “Four weeks of work… gone in half an hour,” they said.
While the cause of the fire remains under investigation, the local fire department has since declared the area safe.
First launched in 2005, Tomorrowland has grown into the largest electronic dance music festival in the world, drawing fans from across the globe. Despite the setback, organisers and attendees alike remain determined to keep the spirit of the festival alive.