It’s usually mentioned that Tomorrowland is tough to match with different festivals as a result of it’s in a league of its personal. In 2025, nature put Tomorrowland to the last word check, and what emerged was the stuff of legend. By means of trials and tribulations that may nearly actually doom some other pageant, Tomorrowland ascended to a legendary standing that we didn’t even know may exist. A tragic hearth on the accomplished Orbyz mainstage 2 days earlier than showtime confirmed the world that Tomorrowland is so rattling good that even shedding its mainstage 2 days earlier than the pageant didn’t cease it from throwing one of the best pageant on the planet. That’s how far forward Tomorrowland is, and there are a lot of the reason why. Nevertheless, first, let’s revisit the tragedy and Tomorrowland’s unimaginable response.
The Tragedy
I distinctly recall that Wednesday night in Rome, making ready for my flight to Brussels once I acquired a notification within the Tomorrowland Discord about photos of a fireplace. I shortly started scouring social media and different Discord chats for data. The photographs I noticed had been so surprising that I believed it was AI. Then the content material continued flooding in, and inside 50 minutes, I noticed probably the most attractive mainstage design I’ve ever seen diminished to nothing however charred scaffolding. I used to be crushed. Speedy ideas had been that the pageant can be cancelled. What may a pageant do with out its greatest stage? Would issues worsen? Would individuals revolt and say they deserved refunds? Would the authorities even permit it to open? The Tomorrowland attendees had been already going by means of the levels of grief at a speedy tempo. That is one thing that may cancel just about some other pageant. Or at the easiest, would result in an ungainly outing the place the pageant tries to bury what occurred and pretends its second-largest stage is the mainstage. Not Tomorrowland.
Tomorrowland, by means of the herculean efforts of its public face, Debby Wilmsen, projected calm confidence all through this harrowing ordeal. From the very starting, the public statements had been measured however resolute. As the hearth raged, and within the fast aftermath, the main focus was on containing the hearth and making certain no one was damage. By Thursday morning, the hearth division left so the pageant may survey the injury and suggest a path ahead, however most onlookers had been assuming the worst. How may they make this work? Whose tickets can be cancelled? Would the native authorities permit such a dangerous proposition to go ahead? Have been they only angling to get the authorities to cancel on them so they may make an insurance coverage declare?
And but, one way or the other, Tomorrowland took this case that everyone deemed hopeless and injected some hope and a can-do spirit. Debby introduced on Thursday night that, although the staff was heartbroken, they by no means as soon as thought of cancelling. They labored by means of the evening to give you a plan, and it may not work absolutely, however it was a plan nonetheless. Out of the blue, this case felt like a Hollywood film with everybody ready on bated breath to see if they may pull it off. The Tomorrowland staff would work all by means of the evening starting at 2am Friday morning, to attempt to construct a model new mainstage within the place of the unique ones. In the event that they pull it off, the pageant will kick off just some hours late. If not, then on Friday the campers can be relegated to a separate tenting get together in Dreamville till Saturday, when the stage might be finalized. Even then, there have been doubts they may get it carried out in time. It was barely greater than 12 hours to construct a brand new mainstage able to attracting 10s of 1000’s of followers.
The Triumph
Round midday of the first day of Tomorrowland, when all the press had simply gathered on the website, the information got here down. Regardless of all of it, Tomorrowland had pulled off probably the most mind-boggling of feats and saved the pageant. They had been capable of full a model new mainstage in half a day and would have the ability to open to all people with just a few hours delay. The feelings had been operating wild and the thrill was extra palpable than ever earlier than. Someway Tomorrowland took all people from despair to hope to cheering and celebrating. There was a brand new mainstage, and it wasn’t the biggest however it was enough and positively higher than many individuals had been anticipating given the circumstances. A giant thanks to Metallica and the manufacturing suppliers for the help there!
It’s straightforward to neglect that the Orbyz mainstage was not simply lovely and never only a stage. It was two years of dedication and labor by the Tomorrowland staff. It was just like the loss of life of a beloved one to see all of that work go up in smoke. But the Tomorrowland staff is a household and that household is totally dedicate to the ethos of Tomorrowland. They’re right here to convey the world to this magical place that exists nowhere else on the planet. They proved to the world that Tomorrowland is a lot greater than its mainstage and a lot greater than your typical business-oriented pageant (the corporate misplaced over 15 million euros on that stage hearth). Tomorrowland ascended to a legendary standing in 2025. For a pageant that crafts such advanced and interesting narrative themes annually, who would have thought that probably the most highly effective of all can be a real-life narrative that performed out for everybody.
Very like Extremely 2024 when rain cancelled the previous few hours of Day 1, there’s actually one thing magical that occurs when an incredible occasion is threatened by circumstance, and everybody has agreed to make one of the best of inauspicious circumstances. Certain, there have been in all probability some individuals who didn’t go or requested refunds over the mainstage, however they had been a tiny minority (and who would need them there anyway). From the DJs to the employees to the attendees and press, all people was simply so grateful to the Tomorrowland staff for saving the day and so rattling completely happy to be there partying their tails off within the magical holy grounds of Tomorrowland.
How Did Tomorrowland Pull It Off?
The Workforce
It’s already been mentioned that no different pageant may have survived this (not less than not that yr). So how did Tomorrowland pull it off? An enormous spherical of applause goes to your complete Tomorrowland crew for his or her dedication to their craft and their relentless spirit to keep up Tomorrowland’s repute as probably the most magical place on earth (sorry Disney). They labored nonstop for 3 days to do the inconceivable, and so they completely pulled it off. Then they continued bettering the stage. Whereas initially we had been informed there can be no pyro or fireworks, we obtained pyro, fireworks, and every little thing we love about Tomorrowland levels.
Tomorrowland is a degree of delight for Belgium, however particularly Growth. The pageant goes above and past to incorporate them within the festivities and take heed to their suggestions. They even host a particular occasion for locals and their households in between weekends. If this occurred to a pageant within the US you possibly can ensure that the native residents and/or the native authorities would shut it down straight away, with complaints that it’s unsafe or one thing else. Ultimately the choice to go forward rested with the native Mayor who gave a giant thumbs up with out reservation, and that’s fairly wonderful. The pageant is so beloved around the globe that artists and manufacturing suppliers had been all chipping in to assist and provide help.
Leaning In
Tomorrowland didn’t cover from the tragedy or shrink in embarrassment at its makeshift mainstage. They leaned in fully. They lit up the wreckage of the Orbyz mainstage and included it into the brand new mainstage space. They even added just a little butterfly on the excavator arm, and I may swear the flood lights had been meant to evoke the silhouette of the Orbyz stage. They didn’t use the Libary because the mainstage and faux the mainstage space didn’t exist. They saved the lineup and set occasions largely unchanged aside from some cancelled units early Monday. The pageant didn’t even cancel the media tour that happens on Friday morning earlier than the gates open. That they had nothing to cover and far to be happy with.
The photographs and the Aftermovie characteristic the brand new mainstage and have a good time it. Many DJs even commented on how a lot they loved being nearer to the group than on the gargantuan mainstages, the place the group is sort of distant and beneath them. They ditched the Orbyz theme interludes and opted for a extra stripped-down method that centered on the feelings all people was feeling that weekend and the realizations we had been all feeling. They rewrote their closing speeches to deal with the truth that Tomorrowland is a lot greater than the mainstage and so forth. It appears like a teachable second that may affect future stage designs and will definitely stay a key a part of Tomorrowland lore. It was stellar PR work from Debby Wilmsen and her staff!
15 Different Superb Phases
Tomorrowland actually is far more than the mainstage. Every of its 16 levels has its personal allure and vibe. There’s by no means a stage that feels underwhelming or lesser than the others. Every stage is catered in the direction of the sorts of music performed there. Some are extra about nature or the forest or the lake and a few are extra in regards to the lighting and the lasers and the visuals. You may go your complete weekend with out the mainstage and nonetheless have an incredible time (this is applicable to most festivals btw). Tomorrowland can simply get by with a smaller mainstage as a result of the opposite levels are so cool on their very own.
The Vibes & The Little Issues
Tomorrowland is blessed with a beautiful park setting, that includes lush greenery, beautiful lakes, cool forests, and an extremely colourful sky. A car parking zone pageant this isn’t, however the good vibes prolong past the grounds of De Schorre. One other factor that creates happiness is all the little Tomorrowland quirks that make you smile. From the second you arrive in Brussels, the Tomorrowland representatives stay cheerful and excited, regardless of the troublesome scenario they had been all in. Instantly, it lifted individuals’s spirits, and the consequences had been contagious. On days when it was extremely scorching, the employees had trays stuffed with sliced watermelon and had been handing them out to individuals as they walked by – though I do miss the free ponchos when it rains. There are bars and restrooms all over the place, and by no means too removed from the motion. Whilst Tomorrowland was pressured to implement the EU’s reusable cup mandate, they made it as straightforward because it may presumably be.
The Performances
Surprisingly, the DJ units are only one piece of the puzzle right here, however that doesn’t imply they had been something lower than wonderful. Each set I noticed was unimaginable and the crowds had been tremendous good and enjoyable. On Weekend 1, all of it culminated in one of the best set of the weekend on Saturday evening on the Crystal Backyard. Not Swedish Home Mafia, however Axwell x Sebastian Ingrosso x Steve Angello enjoying probably the most particular, emotional, lovely set I’ve ever seen from them and presumably anybody. The unimaginable power of that set juxtaposed with the attractive symphony of fireplace, water, and light-weight on the Crystal Backyard left everybody speechless. Ask anyone from Weekend 1 and they’re going to inform you it was one of the best set in years, and I’ll attempt to clarify why in a future editorial. It was that very same magical power that was created within the saving of the pageant channeled into one set. Over 3 hours of musical and visible bliss, that includes the right combine of recent contemporary sounds and in addition reworks or originals of nostalgic favorites. I’ve by no means seen a crowd that was having a greater time than at that set. It was like Swedish Home Mafia if Eric Prydz stayed on as a member. That alone greater than made up for the misplaced Orbyz stage, however there have been so many extra unimaginable units throughout from ANNA & Antdot, Argy, Brokers of Time, Anyma, Eric Prydz, Max Styler, Artbat & Kolsch, FISHER, Dyzen & Sideral, Aaron Hibell and a lot extra.
Don’t Miss Out
In case you are ready, you’ll want to expertise the magic of Tomorrowland not less than as soon as in your life. Fortunately, it’s getting simpler around the globe to take action. Tomorrowland needs to have a presence on each continent (besides Antarctica) and so we are going to quickly see expansions into Asia and even Australia. Within the Fall we see Tomorrowland staff up with Insomniac for a residency on the Sphere, and in 2026 the CORE stage will venute to LA. We hope this Insomniac partnership means we’ll be seeing CORE in Miami for Artwork Basel or Music Week quickly as nicely. Tomorrowland has its second largest pageant in Brazil within the Fall and Tomorrowland Winter in March, to not point out Terra Stable in Dubai and Backyard of Insanity in Ibiza (with extra Ibiza plans for 2026). All of that being mentioned, the truest and most magical expertise comes from visiting the holy grounds of Tomorrowland Belgium, and also you gained’t neglect it if you happen to do.
