(Fire report for use of CFPA) Translated from: ANPI Magazine […]
(Fire report for use of CFPA) Translated from: ANPI Magazine No. 43, June 2026, pp. 9-12.
INTRODUCTION
On July 16, 2025, two days before the beginning of the first weekend of the “Tomorrowland” festival, a fire broke out during the construction of one of the stages. The exact cause is still under investigation.
The fire spread with incredible speed and virtually destroyed the main stage. Fortunately, no one was injured, and the festival was still able to take place, thanks to a replacement main stage erected in record time.
WHAT IS TOMORROWLAND?
Tomorrowland is an electronic music festival held on the last two weekends of July at the “De Schorre” provincial recreation area in Boom, Province of Antwerp (Belgium). Founded in 2005, the festival has grown over the years into a major event, with strong international development.
This 2025 edition was expecting to attract 200,000 participants, coming from all over the world. In addition, 38,000 attendees were accommodated at “Dreamville”, the festival’s campsite, located nearby in the municipality of Rumst, which required inter-municipal coordination for the management of the event by the authorities.
Besides the music, Tomorrowland is above all a visual extravaganza, an overabundance of screens, sets, and fireworks.
THE FIRE
The fire broke out around 6 p.m. on the Mainstage. The burning materials generated a huge amount of smoke; the surrounding population was warned via BE-Alert to keep doors and windows closed.
Upon arrival, firefighters were unable to approach the blaze easily. Threatened by the risk of structural collapse, firefighting operations had to be conducted at a distance of 30 to 40 meters. Around 8:30 p.m., firefighters reported that the fire was under control and that they were proceeding to extinguish any remaining hotspots.
The following day at 8:00 a.m., they declared the fire extinguished. The site was then cleared and handed back to the organizers. The emergency services left the site, while maintaining a level of vigilance: a team of firefighters from the Rivierenland fire service remained present throughout the weekend on and around the site, to pay particular attention to the surrounding woodland, where smouldering fires caused by the projection of incandescent debris could still break out, due to the dryness and the nature of the soil.
The prosecutor’s office is opening an investigation for involuntary arson, and a fire expert has been appointed to determine the cause of the fire.
The organizers then had only 36 hours to reconfigure the site and rebuild the main stage before the horde of festivalgoers descended on the grounds. They achieved a remarkable feat by installing a new stage with a video wall 50 meters wide and 6 meters high.
THE MAINSTAGE, A HIGHLY FLAMMABLE STRUCTURE
The Mainstage, which was completely destroyed by the fire, is traditionally the jewel of Tomorrowland. Every year, festivalgoers eagerly await the unveiling of its design. For this 2025 edition, the stage was meant to embody the festival’s theme: “The World of Orbyz”. In the organizers’ storyline, this evokes a magical civilization that remained hidden under the ice for centuries and is brought back to life following the melting of the glaciers – quite symbolic!
Such a set design requires several years of preparation: as early as 2023, the creative team had begun to imagine the scene and developing the theme. For this edition, the stage measured 45 meters high by 160 meters wide, and included more than 2,000 decorative elements, including 65 fountains and 2 waterfalls.
To achieve this, a wide range of materials was used: – 2,616 cubic meters of expanded polystyrene (styrofoam); – 2,278 plywood panels; – 2,460 cans of polyurethane insulating foam; – 1,440 tubes of sealant, used as a sealing product; – 225 liters of wood glue; – 108 buckets of modelling clay.
The set elements are prepared in an external workshop and brought to the site as early as May. This modular assembly is justified by its reuse: once the Belgian edition of the festival is over, the sets are dismantled and shipped to Brazil to be reused for the “Tomorrowland Brasil” festival.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE…
When the fire broke out, no festivalgoers were yet present at the Tomorrowland site. However, the organizers were in the midst of preparing for the festival, which explains the presence of approximately 1,000 staff members on site.
This could have escalated significantly during the festival… One can easily imagine the types of victims: smoke inhalation, fainting spells, collapsed structures, particles and pieces of scenery carried by the flames and falling back onto the crowd (some were found several kilometres from the site), firework explosions, not to mention the panic in the crowd, people crushed or trampled, as has been seen at other mass gatherings. Irrational and individualistic behaviour, people under influence of drugs and alcohol, participants plunged into darkness, unaware of emergency exits… all these factors would undoubtedly have contributed to a major catastrophe.
Not forgetting the additional impact due to soil and environmental pollution from harmful substances released by the fire and firefighting water.
It should be noted that a Mainstage at Tomorrowland had already been caught fire in Barcelona in 2017, requiring the evacuation of 22,000 festivalgoers.
THE ETHANOL TRAIL
According to the latest information we have gathered, the exact cause of the fire has still not been determined. Initially considered the most likely explanation, as it is clearly identifiable in the visual shows we have come to expect from Tomorrowland, a fire linked to the use of pyrotechnics has not been ruled out: handling error, improper storage, premature installation of the devices, or the presence of unauthorized personnel…
In early 2026, the media reports suggested another possibility: braziers located near the main stage. These two-meter-wide tanks, filled with highly flammable substances, produce spectacular flames during concerts. A test conducted on one of these braziers could have caused the stage set to catch fire. More recently, the organizer himself raised the possibility of an ethanol leak at the connection point of a flamethrower, used to create these visual effects.
The investigation, which is still ongoing, will seek to determine how all these elements combined to cause the disaster.
WHAT LESSONS CAN BE LEARNED?
A signature of Tomorrowland, the creation of ever larger and more complex sets will remain central. The organizer has reviewed and refined all its security measures. However, unable to wait for the conclusions of the investigation before designing its new Mainstage, it has affirmed its intention to continue using the same materials and techniques employed throughout the events industry: polystyrene, plywood, PU foam—all the ingredients for rapid fire spread.
The pursuit of spectacular effects using flames and pyrotechnics will require special attention: proper storage procedures, use of specific containers, protection systems, certified and experienced firework specialists and pyrotechnicians…
As in previous years, emergency and evacuation plans will need to be assessed and approved by the authorities and emergency services, including those concerning exit signage and security personnel, who must be properly briefed and trained…
It should also be noted that outdoor events are relatively lightly regulated compared to fire safety regulations applicable for buildings. Plans are established within the emergency and fire services or at the municipal level. The mayor has the final authority on safety matters and will base her/his decision on expert reports, a safety plan prepared by specialized companies, and an on-site inspection. The precautionary principle will remain the ultimate legal argument.
PROVINCIAL-LEVEL INVESTIGATION
According to a source in the Antwerp provincial government, the festival organizers have commissioned a multidisciplinary team from the University of Antwerp to conduct a dedicated risk analysis. This analysis will focus on crowd flows, the safety of stages and temporary structures, fire hazards, and site accessibility for emergency services. The analysis will then be reviewed by experts from the Rivierenland fire service and the Rupel local police force.
The preliminary results of this risk analysis – as well as a simulation of a real evacuation of the site, as discussed at provincial council meetings – should be available in time for the permitting process for the 2026 edition, and thus allow the relevant municipal authorities to authorize or not the holding of the festival with full knowledge of the facts .
CONCLUSION
30 million euros in damages, some thirty parties involved, claims for compensation for losses incurred, numerous subcontractors and others involved in the construction of the set and the podium, insurance companies… it will be a matter of determining who can be held liable for the damage suffered, a procedure that could extend over several years.
The findings of the investigation are eagerly awaited so that all parties, including the cities and towns that host these types of events, can draw lessons from them in terms of prevention.
Christopher BOON ANPI – Belgian National Fire Protection Association http://www.anpi.be
Short film: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1reiyG03L2k
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