Tomorrowland main stage goes up in flames ahead of weekend one
The main stage of the electronic festival Tomorrowland caught fire two days before its opening, and firefighters battled to save it only 48 hours before the festival gates were due to open.
The famed Belgian festival was set to begin on July 18th when the main stage caught fire. The main stage will house over 600 different acts from the world of electronic music, including performances by David Guetta and Swedish House Mafia.
With videos circulating all over social media, the festival’s main stage caught fire and engulfed the entire performance spot. Local authorities have responded to the fires, saying they are on the scene and assessing the situation.
They are also advising all local residents to keep themselves safe from the smoke, despite it being non-toxic. While employees are said to have been on site, no spectators were welcome inside the venue at the time of the fire.
Though firefighters have been hard at work controlling the blaze, their main concern has been preventing the fire from spreading to the wooded area next to the venue. In a statement, a spokesperson for the festival has said: “Our priority now is the safety of our visitors and those in the surrounding area.”
There has also been some speculation as to what caused the fire. Although various videos of the fire online have shown fireworks sounds, there has been no word on whether any of them played a role in the stage fire.
With 70,000 fans set to touch down and open the premises on July 17th, the main structure holding the stage is completely gone, only leaving the embers and the frame in its wake.
Billed as one of the biggest festivals in the world, the event also revealed the set times and streaming platforms that fans could access around the world. Alongside the many acts that had signed on for the two-weekend event, a memorial set of songs was promised, commemorating the life of famed DJ Avicii.
Though there had been word of some weather getting in the way of the weekend’s festivities before the fire, the Norwegian Meteorological Institute had already revealed that there would be patches of sun alongside a handful of showers during both weekends. As of yet, there has been no word on whether the festival will go forward or when it will be rescheduled.
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