Ethanol Spill May Have Caused Tomorrowland 2025 Mainstage Fire

An accidental ethanol leak may have caused the fire that destroyed Tomorrowland’s mainstage just two days before the 2025 festival opened, according to Het Laatste Nieuws.

In an exclusive report, the Belgian news outlet cited sources involved with the ongoing investigation, claiming that ethanol accidentally spilled while subcontractors tested the stage’s fire bowls, creating the conditions for the devastating blaze. No injuries resulted from the fire, which was extinguished by emergency services.

Following the incident, Tomorrowland’s production team worked through the night and into the morning to construct a smaller stage after the Orbyz Mainstage – two years in the making – was deemed beyond repair. The festival opened at 2 p.m. on July 18, with Weekend 1 performances proceeding as scheduled across Tomorrowland’s other stages before programming began on the substitute mainstage two hours later. Set against the scaffolding from the damaged mainstage and the crane used to dismantle what remained of it, the stand-in stage became a beacon of resilience, emerging as one of dance/electronic music’s most viral images of 2025 and one of its defining moments. 

In an email statement given to EDM.com regarding Het Laatste Nieuws’ recent report, Tomorrowland spokesperson Debby Wilmsen said, “The fire will always remain a part of Tomorrowland’s history. We are very aware of that. Of course, we never want to experience anything like this again, but the risk analysis also confirmed that our safety procedures were already very well organised.”

We continuously evaluate our operations and implement additional measures wherever necessary. At the same time, we have to be honest: it is impossible to eliminate every risk entirely. Weather conditions and human behaviour are factors that no one can fully control. That is why we prepare as thoroughly as possible for every conceivable scenario, with the aim of minimising risks and organising the safest festival possible.

In May 2026, Tomorrowland was cleared to move forward with its 21st edition in Boom, Belgium after a post-fire safety review conducted by WEAREONE.world, the municipalities of Boom and Rumst, and the Governor of the Province of Antwerp concluded that its “objective risk profile” was confirmed to be low to moderate, requiring no “fundamental structural changes.” Results from the comprehensive risk analysis showed that in the event of another fire or evacuation event, attendees would be able to quickly reach a safe area, with the report noting "even in exceptional scenarios, evacuation times remain within the established safety standards."

Tomorrowland returns July 17–19 and July 24–26. Browse the full timetable for both weekends here. See the livestream schedule for both weekends here.