Tomorrowland continues as planned despite main stage fire
While the main stage—the festival's iconic focal point—was lost in the blaze, organizers insist the event will go on. 'There's a lot of fake news going around,' Wilmsen noted. 'But we're definitely expecting 38,000 visitors at the Dreamville campsite tomorrow. They're looking forward to it, and we're looking forward to it. We're going to give them a warm welcome.' She added that while the main stage won't be part of the festival, plans are in motion to adjust accordingly, though no details have been shared yet.
The fire broke out at the Boom, Belgium site where roughly 1,000 workers were present. All were evacuated safely, and no injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire remains unclear. Witnesses described hearing fireworks, and some sources suggest it may have started during a test of fireworks cannons, though this has not been officially confirmed.
Thick smoke and strong winds reportedly contributed to the spread of the flames. Authorities have advised locals to stay clear of the area to allow emergency services access.
All events scheduled for Thursday at Dreamville and in Brussels will continue without interruption. The main festival is still set to begin Friday, with more than 100,000 attendees expected over the weekend. Belgian DJ Charlotte De Witte was slated to open and close the main stage on Saturday, though organizers have not yet announced how the program will be adjusted. Further updates are expected soon.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Express Tribune
Cillian Murphy's mysterious new film ‘Steve' shakes up TIFF 2025 lineup
In a surprise move that instantly raised the stakes, Steve, the latest feature from Belgian director Tim Mielants and starring Cillian Murphy, has been added to the Platform lineup at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. The announcement dropped alongside nine other films rounding out the competition, bringing fresh global energy to TIFF's most carefully curated section. Murphy, hot off a wave of acclaim from his recent projects, takes on the lead in Steve, though plot details remain closely guarded. Mielants, best known for his work on The Responder and Patrick, reunites with Murphy after their collaboration on Peaky Blinders, sparking major anticipation among both critics and fans. Other newly announced Platform selections include Between Dreams and Hope by Farnoosh Samadi, Bouchra by Orian Barki and Meriem Bennani, Hen by György Pálfi, and Nino from Pauline Loquès. Also in the mix: Sk+te'kmujue'katik (At the Place of Ghosts) by Bretten Hannam, The Currents by Milagros Mumenthaler, The World of Love from Yoon Ga-eun, To The Victory! by Valentyn Vasyanovych, and Winter of the Crow by Kasia Adamik. This year's Platform jury will be led by Carlos Marqués-Marcet, whose They Will Be Dust won last year's award. He'll be joined by British actor and filmmaker Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Québécois director Chloé Robichaud, whose Two Women recently had a successful theatrical run. TIFF's Platform section has a strong track record of spotlighting breakout cinema from rising voices, previously launching titles like Moonlight, Sound of Metal, and Lady Macbeth. With Steve now in contention, the 2025 edition promises to be one of the most closely watched in years. Murphy's involvement brings a jolt of star power to the lineup, and given his history of enigmatic roles, all eyes will be on Steve.
Express Tribune
20-07-2025
- Express Tribune
Belgium's music fest reopens after fire
New stage was erected in under 48 hours. Photo: AFP Belgium's Tomorrowland, one of the world's largest electronic music festivals, opened its doors as planned on Friday, after the event was thrown into doubt by a fire that destroyed its main stage, reports AFP. Organisers said an "alternative setup" was put in place to replace the "beloved main stage" that went up in flames on Wednesday. The causes of the blaze were not yet clear. "Our teams are working day and night, with heart and soul, to turn the impossible into reality," they said in a statement. "Tomorrowland will unite, stronger than ever!" Local television footage showed hundreds of festival-goers filing past the gates at the site in Boom, near Antwerp in the early afternoon. Around 400,000 people are expected to attend over two weekends, with scores of DJs including David Guetta, Lost Frequencies and Charlotte de Witte scheduled to perform. Images of the blaze circulated widely on social media, showing flames tearing apart the impressive set design depicting a frozen fairytale kingdom, with a giant ice-covered lion, castles and snow peaks. The new main stage — a smaller structure — was erected in less than 48 hours. After fire authorities and the police deemed it safe, it was due to open on Friday at 4PM (1400 GMT), two hours after the rest of the festival, which has another 15 stages. "It's a new concept, the artists will be very close to the audience, in a more intimate way," Debby Wilmsen, a spokeswoman for the event, told reporters. Tomorrowland was founded 20 years ago by two Flemish brothers in a country that pioneered the genre. The festival relocates to Brazil in October, and a winter edition is held every year in the Alpe d'Huez ski resort in France.
Express Tribune
17-07-2025
- Express Tribune
Tomorrowland continues as planned despite main stage fire
Tomorrowland will move forward as planned this weekend, despite a fire that destroyed its main stage on Wednesday, July 16. Festival spokesperson Debby Wilmsen confirmed that no one was injured and that the preparations are continuing. 'There are no casualties,' Wilmsen said. 'The employees are all safe and can continue with the Tomorrowland preparations.' While the main stage—the festival's iconic focal point—was lost in the blaze, organizers insist the event will go on. 'There's a lot of fake news going around,' Wilmsen noted. 'But we're definitely expecting 38,000 visitors at the Dreamville campsite tomorrow. They're looking forward to it, and we're looking forward to it. We're going to give them a warm welcome.' She added that while the main stage won't be part of the festival, plans are in motion to adjust accordingly, though no details have been shared yet. The fire broke out at the Boom, Belgium site where roughly 1,000 workers were present. All were evacuated safely, and no injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire remains unclear. Witnesses described hearing fireworks, and some sources suggest it may have started during a test of fireworks cannons, though this has not been officially confirmed. Thick smoke and strong winds reportedly contributed to the spread of the flames. Authorities have advised locals to stay clear of the area to allow emergency services access. All events scheduled for Thursday at Dreamville and in Brussels will continue without interruption. The main festival is still set to begin Friday, with more than 100,000 attendees expected over the weekend. Belgian DJ Charlotte De Witte was slated to open and close the main stage on Saturday, though organizers have not yet announced how the program will be adjusted. Further updates are expected soon.
