Tomorrowland 2025: A bumpy start, but the music plays on

For many, Tomorrowland may seem like just another music festival. But for die-hard Electronic Dance Music (EDM) fans, it’s a vibrant and electric escape where beats echo through huge stages and people from across the globe come together to celebrate the love of music. Tomorrowland isn't just a music concert; it's an immersive experience that unites music enthusiasts from all corners of the globe.

Inception of Tomorrowland

Born in the humble town of Boom, Belgium, Tomorrowland emerged from a modest EDM fest to become a global phenomenon. The idea was conceived by two brothers, Manu and Michiel Beers, in 2005. What started as a single-day event, now spans two weekends, attracting attendees from over 200 countries and with over 15,000 music lovers every year.

Tomorrowland’s main stage catches fire ahead of opening day

This year’s edition of Tomorrowland, scheduled to take place from July 19–21 and July 26–28 in Boom, Belgium, faced an unexpected challenge. Just one day before the festival’s first weekend, a massive fire broke out on the main stage. The fire, which occurred near Antwerp, spread quickly through the woodland area and caused serious damage to the stage structure. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

Images and videos of the towering flames and thick smoke shocked fans worldwide, raising doubts on whether the event would go ahead. But in true Tomorrowland spirit, organisers and workers worked tirelessly through the night and cleared the debris and managed to set up a simplified version of the main stage. Metallica also stepped in unexpectedly to save the main stage. Their touring stage was flown in overnight from Austria, ensuring to run the Tomorrowland festival, even if things looked a bit different this time.

Festival opens as planned with star-studded performances

Despite the chaos, the festival opened on Friday, July 19, as scheduled. Kicking things off on the rebuilt main stage were Odymel and Pegassi, followed by high-energy sets from NERVO, Vini Vici, Sub Zero Project, Meduza, ALOK, and Axwell. The night culminated with Martin Garrix’s much-awaited midnight headline performance, which was a major highlight of the day.

Over on other stages, Hardwell made his debut on The Great Library stage, while fans enjoyed performances by Hannah Laing, Jennifer Cardini, Bora Uzer, and Damian Lazarus.

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Saturday, July 20, began with Charlotte de Witte’s special daybreak set at noon, and she returned later for a powerful nighttime headline set, making her the first artist in Tomorrowland history to headline twice in one day. Other artists lighting up the main stage included Alan Walker, Nicky Romero, Anyma, and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike. Techno lovers were treated to powerful sets from Patrick Mason and Indira Paganotto, while James Hype brought the heat to The Crystal Garden. Fans were especially hyped for the rare B2B2B from Swedish House Mafia’s Axwell, Sebastian Ingrosso, and Steve Angello.

The final day of weekend 1, Sunday, July 21, featured performances from Arielle Free, Sam Divine, Sub Focus, Solomun, FISHER, and ended on a high note with David Guetta as the mainstage headliner.


What to expect in Weekend 2?

As excitement builds for weekend 2, the line-up promises to keep spirits high and energetic. Artists who are scheduled to perform include Aghatixx, Michael Amani, Nina Black, NOVAH, Odssey, Pegassi, Prinz, and Regi. The weekend will also see surprise sets, a special Yves V B2B SURPRISE set, and performances on The Gathering - Stage II from artists like Axel Haube, Joulie, Marhu, Niels Feijen, and Youri.


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