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STRINGER/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images
A fire at the festival site of the Tomorrowland electronic music festival, Wednesday 16 July 2025, in Boom.
Music News
Tomorrowland 2025 Will Open as Scheduled Following Mainstage Fire
Organizers also outlined two potential scenarios for the weekend.
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Tomorrowland 2025 will open as scheduled on Friday (July 18) following a devastating July 16 fire that destroyed the festival’s mainstage.
In a statement made on Thursday (July 17), organizers wrote that “hundreds of people are working tirelessly at the Mainstage area to ensure we can open the gates tomorrow. It’s a race against time, but we’re doing this together with the best and most amazing people in the world.”
Organizers have outlined two potential scenarios for how the weekend will unfold that are based on the progress crews can make before gates open. The first, they write, is that “if the Mainstage area can be secured and a new setup completed, the festival grounds will open as planned for all visitors and all ticket types.”
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The second is that if the event is unable to open at full capacity, its camping area — called DreamVille — and the festival grounds “will function as two separate areas on Friday to ensure the safety of all guests.”
If this is the case, DreamVille will host the Mainstage artists scheduled to play on Friday (July 18), although DreamVille visitors will not be able to access the festival grounds. Meanwhile, the festival grounds (without the mainstage) will be open to all other visitors, a group that includes those with a Friday Day Pass, who’ve bought Global Journey Hotel Packages and attendees with a “Full Madness” pass.
If this second scenario is what comes to pass, it essentially means ticketholders will be divided into two demographics, with DreamVille campers limited to the makeshift stage at the DreamVille area and other ticketholders able to enter festival grounds to access all of the other Tomorrowland stages, of which there are approximately 15. Friday mainstage performers include Axwell, Martin Garrix, Alok, Artbat & Kolsch, Meduza and more.
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This second measure is presumably being outlined given that the mainstage area is able to hold upwards of 70,000 people. If this area is closed, a full capacity crowd would potentially overwhelm other areas of the site. Organizers advise that by Saturday (July 19), they expect the full festival grounds to be open to all visitors and all ticket types from 12 p.m. local time onwards.
This development follows a fire that destroyed the mainstage on July 16. There were no injuries and the cause of the fire is not yet know. Tomorrowland is the world’s biggest dance music festival, hosting approximately 400,000 people across its two weekends, July 18-20 and July 25-27.
Complete Tomorrowland Statement:
Dear People of Tomorrow,
We are still devastated, but the support we’re receiving from all over the world and the energy and joy of the visitors at DreamVille (the campsite) today are truly heartwarming.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people are working tirelessly at the Mainstage area to ensure we can open the gates tomorrow. It’s a race against time, but we’re doing this together with the best and most amazing people in the world.
What we can confirm is that we will be able to welcome everyone tomorrow. Currently, there are two possible scenarios for Friday, July 18. We expect to have more clarity by tomorrow morning.
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SCENARIO 1: If the Mainstage area can be secured and a new setup completed, the festival grounds will open as planned for all visitors and all ticket types.
SCENARIO 2: If we are unable to open at full visitor capacity, DreamVille and the festival grounds will function as two separate areas on Friday to ensure the safety of all guests.
In this case:
• The Gathering Stage at DreamVille will host the Mainstage artists originally scheduled for Friday, July 18.
• DreamVille visitors will not be able to access the festival grounds.
• The festival grounds (without the Mainstage) will be open to all other visitors (Friday Day Pass, Global Journey Hotel Packages, and Full Madness Pass holders).
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In both scenarios, doors will open at 14:00 (and not at 12:00).
Even in these challenging times, we will be able to offer a program for all visitors and ticket types.
Starting Saturday, we expect the full festival grounds to be open to all visitors and all ticket types from 12:00 onwards. We will unite.
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