An accidental ethanol spill by a subcontractor testing fire bowls is the suspected cause of the fire that destroyed Tomorrowland's Mainstage in 2025, according to a report from Het Laatste Nieuws citing sources close to the investigation. The highly flammable substance spilled onto the stage, igniting the blaze that consumed the towering Orbyz structure.
The Fire and Its Aftermath
The fire erupted on July 16, just 48 hours before Tomorrowland's gates were scheduled to open. Emergency personnel extinguished the flames without any reported casualties. The Orbyz stage, which took two years to build, was completely destroyed. Construction teams erected a replacement structure in time for the festival to proceed as planned.
Safety Procedures Validated Despite Incident
Tomorrowland spokesperson Debby Wilmsen acknowledged the findings while defending the festival's emergency protocols. A formal risk assessment commissioned by Tomorrowland and conducted by the University of Antwerp concluded that crowds would have remained unharmed even if the festival had been actively underway. According to the report, visitors could quickly reach safe areas and evacuation times would remain within established safety standards even in exceptional scenarios.
Wilmsen noted that the organization continuously evaluates operations and implements additional measures where necessary, though she acknowledged that eliminating every risk is impossible. Weather conditions and human behavior remain factors no one can fully control.
Tomorrowland returns to Boom, Belgium across two weekends in 2026: July 16–19 and July 23–26. The lineup features Calvin Harris, Martin Garrix, Hardwell, ILLENIUM, David Guetta, and more.
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