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Main stage of Tomorrowland – iconic Belgium music festival — engulfed in flames

The main stage of Tomorrowland burned down July 16.
The main stage of Tomorrowland burned down July 16. Instagram screengrab from @i.alexander.merlin

The main stage of Tomorrowland, one of the most iconic music festivals in the world, caught fire July 16 and burned down.

The two-weekend Belgium music festival, which was set to begin July 18, confirmed in a social media post no one was injured.

Videos shared on social media show the left side of the main stage engulfed in flames. Soon, the entire stage was on fire, as black smoke filled the sky.

The Mirror reported 1,000 employees had been working when the fire started. The cause of the fire is unknown.

“Years of love and passion went into that stage. Those teams are devastated,” Tomorrowland spokesperson Debby Wilmsen said at a press conference, according to local publication De Telegraaf.

Music festival insider The Festive Owl shared a photo of the fire’s aftermath, saying the stage was “completely destroyed.”

Charlotte de Witte, a world-famous DJ set to play the main stage, called the fire “heartbreaking.”She was set to open and close the main stage July 19.

“Sending so much love and happy to hear everybody is safe,” said Martin Garrix, who was also scheduled to perform.

David Guetta, Anyma and Fisher were also among the artists also scheduled to play the main stage during the first weekend of the electronic dance music festival.

The festival said it was working on solutions for the upcoming weekend. Wilmsen said its team would try to make the best of the situation.

Tomorrowland is in the town of Boom in Belgium. This year’s festival sold out in record time, according to DJMag.com, with 200,000 tickets selling out in 18 minutes.

The Tomorrowland main stage is regarded as one of the most iconic music festival fixtures in the world. The stage reflects the festival’s yearly theme, The World of Orbyz, for 2025.

“So glad no one was hurt!!” techno DJ Sara Landry said. “But my heart is breaking for the creative team who worked so long to make such a beautiful mainstage.”

“We all know how strong Tomorrowland is when it comes to rising above it all,” Brazilian DJ Alok said. “Tml is more than the MainStage! Sending the best energy!”

This story was originally published July 16, 2025 at 1:29 PM with the headline "Main stage of Tomorrowland – iconic Belgium music festival — engulfed in flames."

MS
Mike Stunson
Lexington Herald-Leader
Mike Stunson covers real-time news for McClatchy. He is a 2011 Western Kentucky University graduate who has previously worked at the Paducah Sun and Madisonville Messenger as a sports reporter and the Lexington Herald-Leader as a breaking news reporter. 
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