After a major fire destroyed Tomorrowland's main stage just two days before the festival was set to start, the first music sets got underway on Friday (Jul 18) as workers toiled around the clock, battling a logistical nightmare. With cranes working to clean the debris and charred remains of the stage in the background, the organisers managed to put together a dialled-down, alternative version of the main stage as festivalgoers enjoyed one of Europe's biggest summer concert events.
Videos and images of the new main stage went viral on social media platforms, with users amazed by the powerful silhouette of the wrecked stage behind.
"This is the best reminder that it's always stood about the music," said one user while another added: "This is one of the most inspiring images in my feed. Gives me goosebumps."
A third commented: "Honestly, this looks much better and you know why? People are closer to the DJ. It will be more about dancing than posting videos since a long time ago. I hope people there will enjoy it!"
A fourth said: "That backdrop of the old stage is pretty iconic ngl"
Watch the posts here:
The main stage, named "Orbyz", was destroyed by a fire on Wednesday, leading to apprehensions that the event might be cancelled. While other stages were fine, attendees feared that shifting shows could lead to chaos in Boom, the festival site located near Antwerp in Belgium.
However, after the new main stage opened, spokesperson Debby Wilmsen said only a fraction of people had sought refunds. She added that the new stage is "very intimate," and includes speakers that were also used for Metallica shows.
"Maybe there are some few people that say, OK, we would like to have a refund, but it's only like a very small percentage because most of them are still coming to the festival," said Ms Wilmsen.
"It is all about unity and I think with a good vibe and a positive energy that our festival-goers give to each other and the music we offer, I think they will still have a good time," she added.
Tomorrowland, one of the biggest electronic music festivals in the world, began back in 2005. Last year, around 400,000 people attended the event.
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