A major fire on Wednesday (local time) has severely damaged the main stage of world famous Tomorrowland festival in Belgium. This comes just days before its official opening on Friday.In a statement issued Wednesday evening, festival organizers confirmed the incident, “Due to a serious incident and fire on the Tomorrowland Mainstage, our beloved Mainstage has been severely damaged.” They confirmed that no injuries were reported.The fire broke out on Wednesday afternoon, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the sky. Videos circulating online showed fireworks erupting as flames engulfed the structure.Belgium’s public broadcaster VRT reported that the main stage was almost completely destroyed. Emergency services responded swiftly, but the fire was not immediately brought under control.
At the time of the fire, no festival-goers were on the site, but approximately 1,000 staff members were present. All have since been safely evacuated.Tomorrowland spokesperson Debby Wilmsen said the destruction was heartbreaking for workers who spent years designing and constructing the stage.Despite the incident, the festival is not being canceled. Organizers confirmed that “DreamVille,” the event’s main campsite, will open on Thursday as planned. “Tomorrow we’re expecting 38,000 festival-goers at DreamVille. We’re really looking forward to it,” Wilmsen said.Wilmsen confirmed that even though the main stage will not be ready in time, the team is working on alternative plans. “We’re going to make it a great festival. It will be without a main stage. But hopefully, we can do something else, but I can’t say much about that yet,” she added.Local residents described the moment the fire broke out. Morgan Hermans, who lives near the site said that she initially heard fireworks and then saw thick smoke. “There was just a big cloud of fireworks and smoke very near us, so that was a bit scary,” she said.“It’s one of the biggest events of the year. Our town is very small, so to welcome people from all over the world is a big deal. Everyone in Boom was a bit terrified for a few seconds,” she added, as reported by CNN.Local police have urged people to avoid the area to allow emergency crews to work. The cause of the fire remains unknown at this time.
