A fast-moving fire tore through Tomorrowland’s iconic main stage Wednesday evening, raising urgent questions about whether the world-famous electronic-music festival can open as planned this Friday. In an update posted Wednesday, Tomorrowland organizers confirmed that the mainstage area had been “severely damaged” and that they “are focused on finding solutions for the festival weekend.”
The DreamVille (campsite) area will open on Thursday as planned, and Global Journey activities in Brussels and Antwerp will take place as planned. Updates about the festival itself will be communicated as soon as possible, per the update.
Belgian public broadcaster VRT NWS first reported the blaze, saying firefighters arriving on scene found the elaborate, story-book structure fully engulfed and shooting plumes of smoke high above the Boom recreation area. Roughly 1,000 production workers were inside the fenced grounds preparing for the two-weekend event, but no fans had yet arrived and no injuries were immediately reported.
Festival spokesperson Debby Wilmsen told VRT that all crew were evacuated safely and confirmed the worker headcount. She added that organizers are “cooperating closely” with emergency services to assess structural damage and determine next steps for opening day.
While officials have not issued a formal cause, eyewitnesses on site said the flames broke out during a scheduled pyrotechnic test on the main stage—an annual focal point famed for its moving parts, LED facades and nightly fireworks finales. Fire crews from Boom and neighboring Antwerp municipalities had the blaze largely contained within an hour, but late-night images circulating on social media appeared to show extensive charring and partial structural collapse.
Images of the fire were shared by multiple accounts on social media:
This year’s edition, slated for July 18-20 and July 25-27 in Boom, has more than 600 performers scheduled for its 16 stages. The main stage involved in the fire was expected to boasts superstar DJs Anyma, Armin van Buuren, Alok, Amber Broos, Charlotte de Witte, Amelie Lens, ANNA, Martin Garrix, Job Jobse, Swedish House Mafia, David Guetta, Fisher and others, while the acclaimed Symphony of Unity orchestra is set to deliver dance-music classics on the Freedom Stage during both weekends.
TicketNews will monitor and update this breaking news story
