Tomorrowland 2026: how has fire safety changed after last year's main-stage blaze?
Here is what happened last year, what appears to have changed, and what visitors heading to Boom should keep in mind.
In 30 seconds
- Tomorrowland's main stage at De Schorre in Boom was destroyed by fire on 16 July 2025, two days before opening, with no serious injuries reported.
- The 2025 festival still went ahead across both July weekends after crews rebuilt an alternative main stage in under two days.
- For 2026 the festival has again run two weekends in July at De Schorre in Boom, Antwerp province, with organisers and authorities emphasising fire safety.
- Safety oversight runs through the gemeente Boom safety cell (veiligheidscel), the fire service brandweerzone Rivierenland, police and medical services.
Tomorrowland is one of the world's largest electronic dance music festivals, held annually at the De Schorre provincial recreation park in Boom, in the province of Antwerp, Flanders. It was founded in 2005 by brothers Michael and Manu Beers and is produced by the events company ID&T. The festival runs across two weekends in July, draws hundreds of thousands of visitors from more than 200 countries, and is known for elaborate, theatrical main stages. On 16 July 2025 its main stage was destroyed by fire two days before opening; the festival went ahead after crews rebuilt an alternative stage.
Background
Since its 2005 debut, Tomorrowland has grown from a Belgian dance event into a global brand famous for sculpted, theatrical stages, expanding to a two-weekend format to meet demand. That escalating spectacle — pyrotechnics, foam and elaborate combustible sets — is central to its identity and, as the July 2025 main-stage fire demonstrated, to its risk profile. The blaze prompted wider reflection across the European festival sector, which also includes Belgian events such as Rock Werchter, Pukkelpop and Graspop.
What to do
Attendees should carry their wristband and ID, locate first-aid and info points and their nearest exit on arrival, stay hydrated in July heat, use official De Lijn and Global Journey shuttles rather than driving into Boom, and follow steward instructions immediately in any evacuation.
The Belgian angle
For the gemeente Boom and the surrounding Rupel region, Tomorrowland is both an economic boost and an annual test of crowd, traffic and safety management. Last year's fire heightened local scrutiny of how the municipal safety cell and fire zone Rivierenland oversee the event, even as residents largely continue to back a festival that puts the town on the global map.
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