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Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Metallica Helped Tomorrowland Bounce Back After Main Stage Fire By Loaning Out Parts of M72 Stage
The Tomorrowland dance festival managed to go off in Boom, Belgium this weekend despite the event's iconic main stage getting destroyed by a massive fire just two days before Friday's (July 18) kick-off. In a miracle from the beat gods, workers on site were able to clear out the piles of debris and construct a new stage to host the fest's headliners overnight, giving Nervo, Axwell, Martin Garrix, Alok and others a place to perform on night one. How'd they do it? With a little help from Metallica, believe it or not. More from Billboard Tomorrowland Goes on as Scheduled After New Mainstage Erected: Watch the Livestream Justin Bieber Charts 16 Songs on Hot 100 From 'Swag' - And Ties With This Legend for 10th-Most Top 10s Jane Eugene, Loose Ends Vocalist, Detained by ICE According to Belgian news outlet HLN, after devastated organizers scrambled for a replacement of the 147 foot-tall 524 foot-wide main stage — which was reduced to a pile of charred metal and soot after Wednesday's still unexplained blaze — they got a hand from an unexpected musical peer. Determined to open gates on time and give the people what they came for, organizers worked with regular festival partners Pixel Screen, Stageco and Prismax to rebuild the stage with help from Metallica, who offered up some elements from their M72 world tour stage that were being stored in Austria. The pieces were airlifted to Belgium overnight and fashioned into a new main stage to replace the massive one technicians had been toiling on for two weeks before Wednesday's fire. While at press time spokespeople for Metallica and Tomorrowland had not returned Billboard's request for comment, one of Friday's headliners, Garrix, weighed in on the kind gesture. 'I can not believe I'm actually typing this… but my set at Tomorrowland is still happening! 🙏massive love and a big shoutout to the incredible @tomorrowland team for pulling off miracles — and to @Metallica for coming through with the new stage parts 🤘❤️,' he wrote alongside a picture of himself with Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich. 'beyond excited to close the mainstage tonight. & this will hands down be the most unique Tomorrowland ever — and yes, I'll be streaming it too.' Metallica commented on the post with a black heart emoji. At press time Metallica did not appear to have commented on being Tomorrowland's stage saviors. According to HLN, while the temporary replacement stage was significantly smaller than the original — 'it's a third of the original stage, but certainly not less,' said the former CEO of Zillion, the company that pressed 200 people into action to rebuild the stage — it brought the artists closer to the audience, though local officials blocked the use of fireworks on it. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Metallica save dance music festival from cancellation after fire destroys main stage
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Thousands of dance music fans are enjoying the Tomorrowland festival in Belgium this weekend after heavy metal heroes Metallica stepped in to save the event from cancellation. The main stage for the huge EDM event in the town of Boom in Belgium's Antwerp province was decimated by fire this week, just days before the gates were due to open. Fans looking forward to seeing artists including Steve Aoki, Swedish House Mafia, Deadmau5 and David Guetta feared they would miss out. But the kings of thrash metal stepped in to keep things on track. Metallica's stage was in storage in Austria and was quickly flown to Belgium on short notice according to HLN News. DJ Martin Garrix, who performed at Tomorrowland on Friday, posted a photo of him hanging out with Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich and wrote in a social media post: "I can not believe I'm actually typing this… but my set at Tomorrowland is still happening! Massive love and a big shoutout to the incredible Tomorrowland team for pulling off miracles – and to Metallica for coming through with the new stage parts." Metallica's stage set, which features a giant wall of TV screens, was being stored ahead of the resumption of their massive M72 World Tour. Remaining dates can be viewed below. Metallica M72 Tour 2025 Nov 01: Perth Optus Stadium, AustraliaNov 05: Adelaide Oval, AustraliaNov 08: Melbourne Marvel Stadium, AustraliaNov 12: Brisbane Suncorp Stadium, AustraliaNov 15: Sydney Accor Stadium, AustraliaNov 19: Auckland Eden Park, New ZealandDec 03: Beyon Al Dana Amphitheatre Sakhir, BahrainDec 06: Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Metallica 2026 European tour dates May 09: Athens Olympic Stadium, GreeceMay 13: Bucharest Arena Națională, RomaniaMay 19: Chorzów Stadion Śląski, PolandMay 22: Frankfurt Deutsche Bank Park, GermanyMay 24: Frankfurt Deutsche Bank Park, GermanyMay 27: Zurich Stadion Letzigrund, SwitzerlandMay 30: Berlin Olympiastadion, GermanyJun 03: Bologna Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, ItalyJun 11: Budapest Puskas Arena, HungaryJun 13: Budapest Puskas Arena, HungaryJun 19: Dublin Aviva Stadium, IrelandJun 21: Dublin Aviva Stadium, IrelandJun 25: Glasgow Hampden Park, UKJun 28: Cardiff Principality Stadium, UKJul 03: London Stadium, UKJul 05: London Stadium, UK Solve the daily Crossword
ABC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Two Israeli soldiers arrested at Belgium festival over Gaza war complaint
Two Israelis have been arrested and questioned in Belgium as part of an investigation into war crimes in Gaza. Two rights groups, the Hind Rajab Foundation and the Global Legal Action Network, said the pair were detained after the groups told Belgian authorities there was credible evidence they had committed war crimes in Gaza. "The action came in response to an urgent legal complaint filed by the Hind Rajab Foundation and the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) earlier this week," the Hind Rajab Foundation said in a statement. "The suspects were identified and arrested with a clear show of force at the Tomorrowland festival in Boom. After being taken into custody, they were formally interrogated and released." Israel's Foreign Ministry confirmed two citizens on holiday in Belgium were briefly arrested in Belgium. It did not say whether they were arrested due to the war crimes allegations, but Belgium's public broadcaster said the prosecutor's office confirmed they were arrested because of the complaint. The rights groups said Belgian authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the pair. The Hind Rajab Foundation is a legal non-governmental organisation registered in Belgium, named after the five-year-old Gazan girl killed by Israeli forces in January 2024, in what UN experts said was a possible war crime. The group has been using the social media posts of travelling Israeli soldiers to track them and seek their arrests overseas using something called "universal jurisdiction", the legal principle that any state can try a person for a serious breach of international law, regardless of where the crime was committed. After the foundation began its campaign, the Israel Defense Forces subsequently released new restrictions to the media on identifying soldiers and told its members not to post about their actions in Gaza on social media. The Hind Rajab Foundation and other legal groups have sought the arrest of Israeli soldiers around the world — causing some holidaying Israelis to flee a number of countries — but the group said this was the first time authorities had actually detained anyone. "This development is a significant step forward," it said in a statement. "It signals that Belgium has recognized its jurisdiction under international law and is treating the allegations with the seriousness they deserve. "At a time when far too many governments remain silent, this action sends a clear message: credible evidence of international crimes must be met with legal response — not political indifference." The Israeli Government has sought to discredit the Hind Rajab Foundation, saying the group is "anti-Israel" and accusing its founder, Lebanese-born Belgian activist Dyab Abou Jahjah, of sympathising with the Shia militant group Hezbollah, a listed terrorist organisation in many countries, including Australia. Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has called the group: "a gang of Holocaust deniers, supporters of abducting Israeli civilians, and admirers of (former Hezbollah leader) the late (Hassan) Nasrallah." Pro-Israel politicians in Belgium sought to have the group de-registered but in May the country's justice minister said a state security evaluation had found no concrete evidence of links to Hezbollah or of any threat to the Belgian state.
Globe and Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Globe and Mail
Belgium investigating death of Canadian woman at Tomorrowland music festival
A spokeswoman for the Tomorrowland music festival says a Canadian woman has died after attending the large gathering in Belgium. Debby Wilmsen says in an emailed statement that a 35-year-old Canadian woman fell ill at the festival on Friday. She says the woman was given first aid and then taken to University Hospital of Antwerp, but festival organizers were told Saturday morning that the woman had died. Wilmsen says the Antwerp public prosecutor's office is investigating the cause of death. The Antwerp public prosecutor's office did not respond to requests for information on the woman. Global Affairs Canada says it is aware of reports that a Canadian woman has died in Belgium but said it would not release information due to privacy considerations. Sabrina Williams, spokeswoman for Global Affairs Canada, says it is in contact with local authorities. A massive fire engulfed the main stage two days before the annual music festival began Friday in the town of Boom, north of Brussels. Tomorrowland draws tens of thousands of visitors from around Europe and runs across two weekends, ending July 27.
CBC
4 days ago
- Health
- CBC
Canadian woman dies after falling ill at Belgium's Tomorrowland music festival
A spokesperson for the Tomorrowland music festival says a Canadian woman has died after attending the large gathering in Belgium. Debby Wilmsen said in an emailed statement that a 35-year-old Canadian woman fell ill at the festival on Friday. She said the woman was given first aid and then taken to Antwerp University Hospital, but festival organizers were told Saturday morning that the woman had died. Wilmsen said the Antwerp public prosecutor's office is investigating the cause of death. The office did not respond to requests for information on the woman. Global Affairs Canada said it is aware of reports that a Canadian woman has died in Belgium but said it would not release information due to privacy considerations. Spokesperson Sabrina Williams said Global Affairs Canada is in contact with local authorities. A massive fire engulfed the main stage two days before the annual music festival began on Friday in the town of Boom, north of Brussels. Tomorrowland draws tens of thousands of visitors from around Europe and runs across two weekends, ending on July 27.
