Heat? Tomorrowland cancels fireworks on the first weekend

“ Nthe sequence of a decision by the competent authorities, there will be no fireworks show during Tomorrowland this first weekend,” said, in statements to Lusa, the festival spokesperson, Debby Wilmsen.

The festival takes place on the next two weekends – from 17 to 19 and from 24 to 26 July – at De Schorre, in Boom, Belgium.

According to the person responsible, “the safety of visitors, teams, artists and local residents is always the top priority”.

Debby Wilmsen reported that, in view of the high temperatures recorded in Belgium, the plan for heat situations was activated, which includes additional shade areas, nebulization zones and drinking water spots distributed throughout the festival grounds.

“ We continue to monitor the evolution of weather conditions closely and will implement additional measures where necessary. As always, we continue to work closely with the authorities and emergency services to ensure that the festival takes place under the most appropriate security conditions,” Lusa said.

The cancellation of the fireworks show alters the experience of Tomorrowland, since the pyrotechnic effects are one of the brand images of the festival and integrate the shows, especially on the main stage.

At a time when Belgium faces high temperatures, increasing the risk of fire, the local authorities decided to request the cancellation of pyrotechnic elements.

The measure appears after the fire recorded in July 2025, which destroyed much of the main stage structure a few days before the opening of the event.

At the time, the organization managed to rebuild an alternative stage in a few hours, allowing the festival to be held, but the incident led to the reinforcement of security plans.

According to the spokesman for Tomorrowland, an investigation is still ongoing to ascertain the causes of the incident, but the main reason pointed out is “human failure”.

In this issue, operations related to flammable materials and reinforced fire surveillance and prevention devices were reviewed.

In addition to the safety measures, Tomorrowland is deepening its environmental strategy, with waste reduction policies, use of reusable cups, incentive for collective transport and increasing use of alternative fuels in the logistics of the event.

The 2026 edition presents the new concept “Conscience” and brings together hundreds of artists distributed across 16 stages, including David Guetta, Martin Garrix, Calvin Harris, Armin van Buuren, Hardwell, Amelie Lens, Novah, Boris Brejcha and Sebastian Ingrosso.

The theme of this edition is inspired by the idea that human emotions are at the origin of the connection between people and the world, exploring six feelings – wonder, love, anger, joy, desire and sadness – through a visual and immersive universe that shapes the scenography and the stages of the festival.

Present are six Portuguese projects, such as Diego Miranda, BIA, ØTTA, Xinobi, Danni Gato and MXGPU.

Diego Miranda is the Portuguese artist with the highest history in Tomorrowland Belgium, adding 10 presences at the festival since its debut in 2015, including this year.

Other DJs, such as BIIA and the MXGPU duo, debut in this edition.

Tickets for this year's edition have been sold out for months given strong demand.

Created in 2005, Tomorrowland celebrates its 21st edition this year.

The festival, held annually in Boom, Belgium, was only interrupted in 2020 and 2021 due to the covid-19 pandemic, being one of the world's largest references to electronic music.