Massive fire destroys Tomorrowland main stage just days before festival opening – Festival is not canceled

UPDATE: Tomorrowland goes ahead despite the devastating fire, organization confirms: “We’ll still make it a beautiful festival without the main stage.”

A fire broke out on the main stage of the Tomorrowland music festival in Boom, Belgium, this evening, just two days before the event’s scheduled start on July 18. The blaze, which has engulfed the iconic main stage, is still not under control, according to local fire services.

Videos circulating on social media show towering flames and thick black smoke billowing from the stage, accompanied by the sound of fireworks detonating, likely stored near or under the structure.

#LoViEnLasRedes | Siniestro en el Tomorrowland🔥

😮A tan solo horas del inicio del icónico festival, el escenario principal de Tomorrowland, en Boom (Bélgica), se vio envuelto en llamas este miércoles.

👉El hecho ocurre a apenas 48 horas de la inauguración oficial prevista para… pic.twitter.com/Q1w65L7b5E

– Radio 780 AM (@780AM) July 16, 2025

The fire would later on engulf the complete stage.

BREAKING: Massive fire has destroyed the stage of Tomorrowland music festival in Belgium pic.twitter.com/GtcqWhJBCw

– Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) July 16, 2025

The main stage is left completely destroyed.

@tomorrowland pic.twitter.com/Mnk7OAndkF

– Rick (@rickertminn) July 16, 2025

Tomorrowland 2025 will not be canceled

The main stage, considered the “crown jewel” of Tomorrowland, is a centerpiece of the festival, designed to reflect this year’s theme, “The World of Orbyz”. Construction of the elaborate set began in 2023, involving 35 artists from 10 countries, and was moved to the festival site in Boom’s De Schorre terrain in May. The stage was intended for use not only in Belgium but also for Tomorrowland Brazil later this year. However, the fire has left the structure almost completely destroyed, raising serious questions about the festival’s immediate future. However, the organization has confirmed that the festival will take place despite the fire.

Festival spokesperson Debby Wilmsen confirmed the fire’s location near the main stage and stated that approximately 1,000 workers were on-site preparing for the event when the blaze broke out. All personnel have been evacuated, and priority is being given to their safety. Authorities have not yet reported any injuries, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Local residents have been advised to keep windows and doors closed due to heavy smoke, which is not toxic but considered a nuisance, according to a BE-Alert issued in the Antwerp region. Firefighters are deployed in large numbers but have yet to contain the blaze.

Tomorrowland, one of the world’s largest electronic dance music festivals, attracts around 400,000 attendees from over 200 countries across two weekends (July 18-20 and July 25-27). The 2025 edition was set to feature acts like Charlotte de Witte, who was slated to make history by opening and closing the main stage on the same day (July 19), alongside artists such as Armin van Buuren, David Guetta, and Afrojack.

In 2017 the main stage of Tomorrowland Barcelona went up in flames as well. It prompted the evacuation of 22,143 fans. That stage was also completely destroyed by the fire.

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Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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