ANTWERP: 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 local time, 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.
