TOMORROWLAND bosses have confirmed the festival will go ahead as planned – even without its main stage – as thousands of fans begin arriving today.
The update comes after a devastating blaze tore through the heart of the site just two days before the opening of the famous EDM festival.
The fire broke out around 6pm on Wednesday evening at Tomorrowland’s elaborate, ice-themed main stage in Boom, Belgium.
Firefighters raced to the scene, but the towering structure was quickly engulfed.
Footage from the site show flames ripping through the stage as thick smoke billowed across the skyline.
But despite the loss of its most iconic feature, organisers said the party is still on.
At a press briefing on Wednesday, Tomorrowland representative Debby Wilmsen expressed, “Years of dedication and enthusiasm have gone into creating that stage. The teams involved are heartbroken.”
“Tomorrow, we’ll be welcoming 38,000 festival attendees, and we are eager to give them a warm reception. We’re set to make it an unforgettable festival experience.”
“All of the other stages are still intact,” she added.
“The intention is for the festival to go ahead. But we can’t do magic, so it will be without the main stage.
“Our production team will now do everything they can to make it truly special.”
As reported by Rolling Stone, the DreamVille campsite at Tomorrowland is opening today, with the Global Journey events in both Brussels and Antwerp proceeding as scheduled.
The first weekend of the festival runs from July 18 to 20, followed by a second from July 25 to 27.
In an earlier statement on Instagram, the festival wrote: “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 are focused on finding solutions for the festival weekend… More updates and detailed information will be communicated as soon as possible.”
The exact cause of the blaze is still under investigation.
But sources told Gazet van Antwerpen that the fire may have started while the main stage’s fireworks cannons were being tested.
In several online videos, what sounds like fireworks can be heard going off as the flames spread.
Local firefighter François van den Eynde described the scene as nearly impossible to control.
“The blaze spread very quickly,” he told Rolling Stone, “likely because of the materials used.”
He added: “Despite all our resources, it was impossible to stop something like that.
“We tried to extinguish the fire, but as soon as you realise you’re not succeeding, you have to limit the damage to the rest of the festival site. That’s what we did. Everything is under control.”
The mayor of Boom, Jeroen Baert, reportedly cut short his holiday in Germany to return and coordinate the emergency response, according to the Daily Star.
At the time of the fire, around 1,000 staff were working on-site, but no members of the public were present.
Some local residents were evacuated as emergency crews worked to prevent the flames from spreading to nearby homes and woodland.
As news of the fire broke, the global dance community quickly rallied behind Tomorrowland.
Global superstar DJ Martin Garrix wrote under the festival’s Instagram update: “Sending so much love and happy to hear everybody is safe.”
Afrojack added: “Glad everyone is safe.”
Charlotte de Witte, one of this year’s acts, posted: “I’m speechless. My heart and thoughts go out to all of you in this hard moment.”
Brazilian DJ Alok commented: “We all know how strong Tomorrowland is when it comes to rising above it all. TML is more than the MainStage! Sending the best energy!”
Despite the chaos, Tomorrowland 2025 remains a colossal operation – with over 600 artists performing across 16 stages over two weekends.
This year’s lineup includes global heavyweights like David Guetta, Swedish House Mafia, Steve Aoki, Deadmau5, Charlotte De Witte, Eric Prydz, and Dillon Francis.
Now in its 19th year, the festival has long been considered the pinnacle of the electronic dance music world, attracting an estimated 400,000 fans annually.
This isn’t the first time Tomorrowland has been rocked by fire — in 2017, the Barcelona edition saw 22,000 fans evacuated after flames erupted hours before Steve Aoki’s set.
What is Tomorrowland?
TOMORROW is a globally renowned electronic dance music festival held annually in Boom, Belgium.
It features performances by some of the world’s top DJs and artists, showcasing a wide range of electronic music.
The festival is famous for its elaborate stage designs, immersive experiences, and vibrant atmosphere.
Tomorrowland began in 2005 after being created by Belgian brothers Manu and Michiel Beers.
It has gone on to be one of Europe’s largest festivals, attracting around 400,000 guests from over 200 countries.
It also features DreamVille which is the festival’s glamorous camping arena.
Due to its popularity, Tomorrowland has even expanded to put on events across globe.
These include TomorrowWorld, Tomorrowland Brasil, and Tomorrowland Winter in the French Alps.
