Tomorrowland recently wrapped up its 19th edition in Belgium, but it almost didn’t happen. Following a devastating fire that destroyed the mainstage, the festival was in jeopardy just days before it was set to kick off. In an act of sheer determination, a suitable replacement stage was constructed to ensure the festival went ahead, starting only a couple of hours later than planned. While the 19th edition may be remembered for the mainstage that wasn’t, it should be remembered as the year Tomorrowland reaffirmed itself as the best festival on the planet.
Tomorrowland completely sets the bar for how other music festivals need to operate. It’s clear that no expense is spared to ensure every attendee has the best time possible. It’s also worth noting that the annual theme is more than just window dressing. Tomorrowland is built on a foundation of deep fantasy lore, so intricate that the organisers actually publish full-length fantasy novels to tell the backstory each year. While the fire may have claimed the mainstage’s grand interpretation of this year’s story, the magic of that narrative was still felt in the smaller art installations, the costumed performers, and the overall sense of being in a different world. It’s a level of dedication to world-building you simply don’t find at any other festival.
The scale is incredible, especially considering the vast Dreamville camping grounds. While potentially seen as a negative, walking the festival’s grounds can take 20 minutes in some situations, making your way from one stage to another. But in those 20 minutes, you will come across a mini-stage, a plethora of food options, dancers in mythic-inspired costumes, high-end restaurants, bars, large merch stores, art installations, and so much more. With 15,000 crew members across the two weekends, it’s clear how they manage to coordinate so many stages, activities, and facilities.
When experiencing the festival, it’s clear how the team managed the mainstage crisis—they genuinely care. Many other festivals would have cancelled, but Tomorrowland put in the effort and work to make it happen. Even without its intended spectacle, the replacement stage worked. It may not have been the same, but it was still an incredible time. The DJs got to feel the crowd’s energy and reactions, surely impacting their tracklist and how they interacted with the thousands in front of them.
The music selection was vast. With its 16 stages, every genre of electronic music imaginable could be experienced. While the mainstage in the evenings leaned largely towards techno and hardstyle, a number of different genres were showcased throughout the day. It’s clear that the music selection was expertly curated.
Each stage brought its own unique features to the festival, ensuring that every experience was different. There was a reason to visit each one to explore the surroundings and music. If you’re someone who leans more towards techno or drum and bass, for example, Tomorrowland had a plethora of options, even allowing you to stay at just one stage the entire time. Stage standouts were certainly Freedom, the largest indoor festival stage, hosting the likes of Eric Prydz, Sara Landry, and deadmau5. Another notable stage was Crystal Garden, which was actually floating on water—this was mentioned time and again as attendees’ favourite stage, largely due to the music played there by acts such as Swedish House Mafia and Anyma b2b Solomun. The Atmosphere stage was another stellar offering with 360-degree sound, which was amazing for acts like Adam Beyer and I Hate Models. While it was very warm in there, they did their best to make it digestible with heavy air conditioning. With the mainstage not being as significant, The Great Library really stepped up as the usual second-largest stage. In many ways, it is larger than most other festivals’ mainstages. Experiencing acts such as Oliver Heldens, Netsky, Kream, and Boris Brejcha there was a treat; having the full pyrotechnics and stage design was splendid. The stage was uniquely designed, with large screens that actually blended into the surrounding design, creating an illusion that made the screens look like they were the stage itself. There was some slight sound bleed, but with a festival this large, it is understandable and did not impact the other stages much at all.
It’s clear that Tomorrowland is a more mature festival, meaning the crowd is generally older and more sensible. Having potentially flown around the world and spent thousands of dollars, attendees do not want to risk their experience with silly behaviour. The higher costs involved mean an older demographic, which in turn creates a more mature crowd. This created a united front where everyone wanted each other to have a great time, an atmosphere felt more so than at other festivals. It was amazing to see such a diverse crowd; while the flags at the mainstage can be annoying when blocking a view, it was great to see people representing their countries from around the world.
Dreamville was shockingly impressive. The festival’s camping city was unexpectedly vast and yet still packed with activities and amenities. From the supermarket to the gym, to the pool and buffet in the Montagoe area—it really did have everything you might need for the time between partying. Notable offerings included a shop to fix your phone. As equally notable were the Red Bull skydivers landing at the location of The Gathering, which is a huge stage used only for the pre-party at Dreamville on Thursday night.
Tomorrowland feels like a rite of passage that every electronic music lover must attend. Nothing compares to the scale, the attention to detail, and the care of the employees. It would be very difficult to have a bad time over the weekend. Even without the mainstage that many had expected, the Tomorrowland team still conducted themselves to ensure a magical time for all attendees. It is not easy to even get the opportunity to buy tickets, yet alone afford to attend – but if the possibility arises, it’s a must.
Thinking about attending in the future? Dive into how 2025 was via the official aftermovie below.