One woman has died after attending the first day of Belgium’s Tomorrowland Festival over the weekend.
According to a statement provided to Billboard, Tomorrowland spokesperson Debby Wilmsen said that a 35-year-old woman from Canada became “unwell on the festival grounds” on Friday, July 18. While she “received immediate first aid” and was transferred to the University Hospital of Antwerp for further care, she was pronounced dead the following morning on July 19.
“Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and loved ones,” the spokesperson said. “The Antwerp’s Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the cause of death and will provide further updates.”
Tomorrowland has not issued a public statement regarding the woman’s death at this time. The woman has not been identified.
| READ: Tomorrowland to Continue With Alternative Main Stage Setup After Fire |
This is the latest news for the festival, which kicked-off with a tumultuous start. A fire broke out at the festival ahead of its official opening on Friday, leaving the mainstage area severely damaged. On Thursday, organizers confirmed that hundreds of people were working to ensure that gates would open in time for the festival with an alternative setup.
The mainstage site was cleared in time for Friday with a new stage constructed in front of the dilapidated original stage. Metallica even offered parts of their stage from the M72 World Tour; the pieces of the stage were being stored in Austria, and the band airlifted them to Belgium overnight.
Tomorrowland ran through Sunday, July 20. The second weekend will begin on Friday, July 25 and continue through Sunday, July 27. Across both weekends, the festival is expected to bring-in around 400,000 festivalgoers.
