The Tomorrowland music festival in Antwerp, Belgium, commenced as scheduled on Friday, July 18th. This opening followed the rapid reconstruction of the main stage, which had been destroyed by a fire just two days prior.
Festival organizers described the new stage as an "alternative setup" created to replace the original, which was lost in a fire on Wednesday. The cause of the fire is still under investigation by authorities.
Despite the setback, the festival team worked tirelessly to make the event happen. Local television footage showed attendees entering the festival site in Boom on Friday afternoon. The rebuilt stage was cleared to open at 4 pm local time, two hours after the rest of the event's sixteen stages.
The new main stage, built in less than 48 hours, is smaller in size but designed to offer a more intimate experience. Festival spokeswoman Debby Wilmsen explained that the artists would be closer to the audience.
The original stage had an elaborate design, featuring a frozen fairytale theme with snow-covered castles and an ice lion. Videos of the fire quickly circulated on social media.
Organizers anticipate approximately 400,000 attendees for the two-weekend event, which includes performances by prominent electronic music artists.
Tomorrowland was established two decades ago and has become one of the world's largest electronic music festivals. It is also scheduled to return to Brazil in October and host a winter edition in Alpe d’Huez, France.
5 Comments
Loubianka
I'm excited to experience the "alternative setup." A more intimate experience sounds cool!
BuggaBoom
Two hours later for the main stage? That's a big hit for those who planned to be there early.
Michelangelo
The fairytale theme was the best part! Now it's a smaller stage. So disappointed.
Africa
So glad they were able to get the festival on! Can't wait to dance the weekend away!
Comandante
Unbelievable! Rebuilding a stage in two days? Sounds like corners were cut. Safety first!