Latest news with #mainstage
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tomorrowland organisers race to build new stage ahead of opening after fire
Organisers of the Tomorrowland music festival in Belgium are racing to rebuild the event's main stage after it was destroyed in a fire earlier this week. Overnight, trucks, cranes and workers arrived to reconstruct the colossal edifice, which measures 70 metres wide and 8 metres tall. Organisers said the event in Boom, Belgium, would go ahead two hours later than planned with or without a new main stage. If a new stage is not finished in time, the festival will open to a reduced capacity on Friday and open fully on Saturday. Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen told a press conference that the campsite at DreamVille and festival grounds would operate separately, with main stage artists to perform at the Gathering Stage on the campsite instead, but this means campers will not be able to access the rest of the event's grounds. The festival was originally scheduled to unlock its gates at 12pm today (18 July) and continue into the late night on Sunday, with more than 400,000 people expected to attend over the three-day electronic music event. Tomorrowland bosses reiterated that safety was their top priority, but that the event would not be halted and would continue its full operations by Saturday. Some of the world's most popular DJs are due to appear on the stage over the weekend, including Martin Garrix, David Guetta, Fisher, Swedish House Mafia and Steve Aoki. The festival's main stage was destroyed in a fire whose cause is yet unknown (Belga/AFP via Getty Images) Images shared on local news sites and social media showed flames and plumes of black smoke engulfing the stage and spreading to nearby woodland on Wednesday (16 July). Fireworks apparently ready for performances were also seen exploding into the air. Nearby residents were urged to close all windows and doors until the fire was contained. No members of the public were present at the time of the blaze, but 1,000 employees were on site. One staff member described 'an apocalyptic scene' after the fire engulfed the stage. Fireworks burst and smoke rises as a fire engulfs the main stage of Tomorrowland, an electronic music event, in Boom, Belgium (Morgan Hermans via Reuters) At least three-quarters of the stage, dubbed the Orbyz Mainstage, is believed to have been damaged. A statement from Tomorrowland called the structure a 'creation from pure passion, imagination, and dedication', adding: 'This wasn't just a stage. It was a living, breathing world.' Dozens of emergency teams were seen rushing through the festival grounds just after 6pm on the day of the blaze in an attempt to extinguish the flames and evacuate those inside the grounds. The cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed.
CNA
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNA
Tomorrowland opens with rebuilt stage after blaze destroyed original setup
ANTWERP, BELGIUM: Belgium's Tomorrowland music festival opened as planned on Friday (July 18), debuting a hastily rebuilt main stage just two days after a fire destroyed its original centrepiece. Organisers said the newly constructed stage was part of an 'alternative setup' designed to replace the festival's 'beloved main stage,' which went up in flames on Wednesday. Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the blaze. 'Our teams are working day and night, with heart and soul, to turn the impossible into reality,' organisers said in a statement. 'Tomorrowland will unite, stronger than ever!' NEW STAGE ERECTED IN 48 HOURS Local television footage showed hundreds of attendees entering the festival site in Boom, near Antwerp, on Friday afternoon. Fire and police officials gave clearance for the rebuilt stage to open at 4pm, two hours after the rest of the 16-stage event. The new main stage, constructed in under 48 hours, is smaller in scale but designed for a more intimate experience. 'It's a new concept, the artists will be very close to the audience, in a more intimate way,' said festival spokeswoman Debby Wilmsen. FOOTAGE OF FIRE WENT VIRAL The original stage featured elaborate set design, including a frozen fairytale theme with snow-covered castles and a towering ice lion. Videos of the blaze tearing through the structure spread widely on social media. Despite the fire, organisers expect around 400,000 people to attend the two-weekend event, which features top electronic acts including David Guetta, Lost Frequencies and Charlotte de Witte. Tomorrowland was founded 20 years ago by two Flemish brothers and has grown into one of the world's largest electronic music festivals. It will return to Brazil in October and host a winter edition in Alpe d'Huez, France.
France 24
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- France 24
Tomorrowland music festival opens with new stage after blaze
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. © 2025 AFP
The Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Tomorrowland organisers in race to build NEW stage after horror fire – as festival to begin today at delayed time
TOMORROWLAND bosses have pledged to build a whole new main stage in time for this weekend's festival after the original burned down on Wednesday. Organisers of the Belgian music festival - one Europe's largest - vow the party will kick off on Friday with or without a main stage, and just two hours behind schedule. 7 7 7 Some 400,000 people are expected to attend the electronic dance music festival over two weekends - with of thousands already at the site in the town of Boom, south of Antwerp. Years of creativity and craftsmanship had gone into building this year's main stage set piece - and it was set to be spectacular. Heartbreakingly, the whole lot went up in flames just two days before some of the world's biggest DJ names were set to play there - including David Guetta and Swedish House Mafia. A furnace engulfed the entire structure, leaving nothing but a charred skeleton. Thankfully, nobody was injured in the blaze. The organisers were quick to confirm the festival would proceed, though admitted it would likely be without the crown jewel. But now, the festival says it is racing to pull in a new main stage in time to open on Friday, two hours later than originally planned. If they do not manage to source a new stage, then the festival will still open at the same time, but just in a reduced capacity - before opening fully on Saturday. At a press conference on Thursday evening, Tomorrowland spokeswoman Debby Wilmsen said they hoped a "nice, new stage" would be ready for Friday. If that fails, then the campsite, called Dreamville, and the festival grounds will be separate off for Friday. Artists who had been due to perform on the main stage will instead take to the Gathering Stage, which is in Dreamville. Campers would not be able to access the rest of the festival grounds until Saturday in this case. Debbie reflected on the challenge ahead in comments made on Thursday, saying: "Years of love and passion have gone into building that stage. Those teams are devastated. "Tomorrow, 38,000 festival-goers will arrive, we're really looking forward to that, and we're going to give them a warm welcome. We're going to make it a wonderful festival." 7 7 7 "All of the other stages are still intact. "The intention is for the festival to go ahead. But we can't do magic, so it will be without the main stage," she added. The first weekend of the festival runs from July 18 to 20, followed by a second from July 25 to 27. 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. 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. 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. 7
Washington Post
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Flames engulf Tomorrowland's main stage 2 days before Belgian festival
A massive blaze in Belgium at the site of the Tomorrowland electronic dance music festival has 'severely damaged' the renowned main stage, two days before the festival was due to start, organizers said in a statement. No one was injured during the Wednesday incident, the statement said. The cause of the fire was not mentioned.
