Smoke caused by a fire at the festival site of the Tomorrowland electronic music festival, on 16 July 2025, in Boom. Photo: AFP / Belga Mag / Tom Goyvaerts
The main stage of the Tomorrowland music festival near Antwerp was destroyed by fire on Wednesday (local time), a day before thousands of electronic dance music lovers were due to descend on the Belgian event.
There were no injuries, organisers said, insisting that they would still go ahead with the festival over the next two weekends.
The festival is going ahead despite the intense blaze. Photo: AFP / Belga Mag / Tom Goyvaerts
Some 100,000 participants are expected in the town of Boom, some 16 kilometres south of the port city, with many planning to camp on site.
The festival's "DreamVille" campsite will open as planned on Thursday, organisers said.
Several dozen DJs and electronic music stars, such as David Guetta, Lost Frequencies, Armin Van Buuren, and Charlotte de Witte, are to perform from Friday for the first weekend, with two-thirds of the events split between the now destroyed "Main Stage" and the "Freedom Stage."
Prosectors believe the fire is accidental. Photo: AFP / Belga Mag / Tom Goyvaerts
Several hundred firemen had toiled to save the stage. Antwerp prosecutors have opened an investigation, though they said the fire appeared accidental.
Founded 20 years ago by two Belgian brothers, Tomorrowland has become an internationally renowned brand. A winter festival is now held in the French ski resort of Alpe d'Huez and another in Brazil.
-AFP
