Tomorrowland prepares for 2026 return after devastating fire

Organisers of the Tomorrowland music festival are going ahead with plans to build the stages for this summer's festival with the same materials as in previous years - six months after a major fire destroyed the main stage, prompting an ongoing investigation into fire safety risks.

The blaze, which broke out on 16 July 2025, consumed the main stage in Boom, Antwerp province, just two days before the festival was due to open.

The fire began during tests of fireworks and highly flammable materials used for dramatic flame effects.

Flames spread rapidly to the stage structure, which included large amounts of wood and polystyrene, and fireworks stored nearby also caught alight. Fire services responded quickly, and no injuries were reported despite the extensive damage.

Tomorrowland's organisers faced immediate uncertainty about whether the event could still take place. In a logistical feat, they created a new main stage within about 48 hours, allowing last summer's edition to go ahead. Performances on other stages continued, and thousands of ticket-holders still arrived.

In the weeks that followed, provincial authorities declared the festival grounds safe, reopening the broader recreation area while keeping the site that burned restricted pending further work.

Soil and water tests found no significant health risks, though some burnt materials contained small amounts of chemicals.

This summer, Tomorrowland is set to return to Boom for its 2026 edition, with ticket sales already under way.

A judicial investigation into the fire is still ongoing and the mayors of Boom and neighbouring Rumst have commissioned risk analyses after expressing concern about the safety planning for future editions of the festival.

According to VRT, the damage from last summer's fire could be as much as €63 million, and organisers have chosen to reuse the same materials - wood and polystyrene - for the stages, adding that "there will be surprisingly little change in the way the stages are being built".

"The investigation is still ongoing, and people are still being questioned," a Tomorrowland spokesperson said. "We're currently waiting for more information about insurance and expert reports.

"We don't have a pause button we can press while waiting for news. We don't really have much time to make any adjustments.

"Safety, of course, remains the top priority. We expect to receive a lot of questions about that, but yes, but we're prepared.

"We're dealing with suppliers who, like us, have suffered losses. We know what it cost us and are now looking at what we can recover."