Each year, the small town of Boom, Belgium, De Schorre Park, is transformed into a magical world known as Tomorrowland. This fantasy realm beyond any festival-goer’s dreams attracts people from all around the world for two incredible weekends a year, and we were lucky enough to be among those in attendance during weekend one.
This Tomorrowland edition was a special one celebrating its 20th anniversary. It is centered around the theme of “Life,” created as the prequel to the festival’s 2016 ‘Elixir of Life’ theme. In true Tomorrowland fashion, every detail of the grounds immersed us in a mythical realm, complete with creatures, plant life, and all the people of Tomorrow living and dancing in harmony.
With an insane lineup of over 800 DJs across 16 stages, there was never a dull moment and always something to explore within the festival. The weather was the best in years, the main stage was bigger than ever, and the energy was unreal.
Many people will say this is one of the most unique and magical festivals. Having attended various festivals of the years, Tomorrowland continues to rank as one of the top festivals out there. Keep reading to find out more special details about our weekend at Tomorrowland in Boom, Belgium:
Vibes: B+
People are usually happy to be at a festival, but nothing compares to the joy of the people at Tomorrowland. Securing a ticket to this festival is not easy and cheap, so you can imagine the rush of emotions a person gets entering this festival for the first time.
Everyone was excited during our interactions, from boarding the Global Journey party train in Amsterdam to walking into camp. Striking up any conversation would usually start with “How many Tomorrowlands is this for you?” we met many first-timers and people on their 5th, 7th, and even 10th Tomorrowland.
It was our first time for this writer, and we were beyond thrilled to be there. We arrived at camp on Thursday to get settled in and attend the pre-party festivities known as The Gathering. Everyone we interacted with was friendly and energetic, contributing to the vibrant atmosphere surrounding us.
Friday morning, Dreamville was bustling with energy as everyone got ready to head into the festival as soon as possible. The walk from camp to the festival gates had its parade with people on bicycles, characters dancing alongside us, and even a marching band.
This wasn’t our first European festival, so we were used to the more casual approach to outfits, but for someone used to American rave wear, it could be a surprise. Yet this doesn’t stop some people from going all out, nor does it change the vibe of how much fun everyone has. Everyone is genuinely there to enjoy the experience and the music and meet new people worldwide.
Although everyone was having a fantastic time, the heat did impact the pace of things moving between stages, just because it was a lot of walking, and everyone was hot and tired. The crowds on Friday and Sunday seemed the most difficult to get through, leading to some annoyance for attendees. All stages were busy, but the main stage, The Library, and Crystal Garden would get uncomfortable shoulder to shoulder during certain sets. There’s so much to explore across the festival, and we find that Tomorrowland is about the journey and less about seeing your favorite artist. This mindset inspired us to discover new artists at less crowded stages, where we made many new friends throughout the weekend.
Production: A+
Words can’t describe the awe we experienced over this festival’s production. The attention to detail is unlike anything we’ve seen at a festival. The world that Tomorrowland can produce for its attendees is something out of a storybook (literally, though there are Tomorrowland books).
This year’s main stage was centered around the theme of “Life,” and it reflected that beautifully. The array of nature that made up the stage included mechanized blooming flowers, waterfalls, and many other elements that, when all blended, created a mystical visual that we couldn’t take our eyes off.
On top of the unbelievable main stage, there are 15 other stages to explore, with equally insane production. Some of our favorites included Planaxis, where the stage was a giant conch shell set on the water surrounded by fountains and lit up at night, which made us feel like we were transported to an underwater world.
The Freedom stage was a three-story warehouse-like experience with a massive backdrop of LEDs and giant dragonflies hanging from the ceiling, which looked amazing when hit with the lasers. The Library stage was beautifully made up of realistic, giant book structures. Written across one of the many books was “In Loving Memory of Tim Bergling,” a tribute to the beloved artist Avicii.
Walking through the festival, we continued to be blown away by the attention to detail, from the trash cans to the food stalls and the characters wandering around. Everything was curated to perfection, even the smell…and yes, Tomorrowland has a scent.
Outside of the mind-blowing visual displays, we found the practicality of many details impressive—details that many other festivals overlook, like built-out walkways around the grounds or simply having useful sponsors. Our personal favorite was Old Spice, where workers were placed in all the bathrooms spraying deodorant for people. There was also an Old Spice party boat that would take attendees across the lake.
Then there’s, of course, the unreal production inside the campgrounds of Dreamville. Where attendees have access to a grocery store, bakery, tattoo shop, camping gear, and even a balloon shop. Tomorrowland spares no expense in curating the best experience for attendees, and it indeed shows inside Dreamville, from clean showers with hot water, access to all necessary items, and even daily newspaper deliveries to each campsite.
Music: B+
This year’s lineup featured over 800 artists and featured many legendary artists as well as recent mainstream artists making their Tomorrowland debut. One specific name that had everyone excited was Swedish House Mafia, who, after 12 years, was finally making their return to the main stage. Witnessing this set alongside hundreds of thousands of people brought us to tears and was a beautiful way to close out our first day of the festival.
Weekend one included many other incredible experiences, such as Anyma bringing Syren visuals to the main stage and DJ Archie setting a new record for the youngest DJ ever to play at Tomorrowland at nine. Some of our favorite main stage sets included Sara Landry, Amelie Lens, and Alesso.
With 16 different stages, there’s something for everyone and many opportunities to discover new music. One day, we made it a point to walk the festival and hit every stage just to see what we discovered. It led to us witnessing DJ Diesel’s incredible bass set at The Library, complete with an all-girl mosh pit, and coming across an epic set by Mariana Bo at House of Fortune that literally had the floor shaking.
Techno and hardstyle seemed to be the highlights of the mainstage this year, with artists such as Da Tweekaz, Timmy Trumpet, Amelie Lens, and Anyma bringing the crowds. Drum and bass also had its moments, with Dimension throwing down such an incredible set at Atmosphere that he had techno heads turning into drum and bass fans. And we continued to hear how amazing the Sub Focus closing set was on Saturday night.
For more intimate music experiences, there were smaller stages like the “Rave Cave,” a small tunnel off one of the paths, the Cage, which gave us those dark secret warehouse vibes, and a small DJ cart that would be set up by the bathrooms with surprise sets. If we were ever overwhelmed with everything, one of our favorite places to disappear was the CORE stage, where we enjoyed dancing amongst the trees and bubbles to artists like DJ Heartstring, Bonobo, and fka.m4a.
Although there were various artists and vibes, we felt there was some sense of repetitiveness with artists playing the same tracks. This tends to be a trend at larger festivals, and it’s great to hear various remixes of everyone’s favorite songs, but when they become the majority of the set, it appears as a lack of creativity. That being said, we highly enjoyed the music over the weekend, and it was amazing to witness so many unique sets in one festival.
Venue: A-
This transformation from simply a public park to the magical land of tomorrow takes the festival almost two months to build out. You realize why Tomorrowland is the best when you see it all for the first time. The infrastructure they take the time to create for attendees to have the best possible experience is unmatched, from walkways, signage, and proper bathrooms to how they intertwine every element into the existing nature within the park.
Even with the heat, this year saw some of Tomorrowland’s best weather. All the rain had happened in the weeks leading up to the festival, which left them building things up until the last minute so they could dry out. Yet, walking into Dreamville on Thursday, with the pristine condition of everything, we never would have guessed.
The ability to house 38,000 attendees in camp and provide adequate facilities was impressive compared to many American festivals, where porta-potties and flooding shower trailers are the norm. Tomorrowland provides 19 different accommodation packages, so there was something to fit every budget. Options ranged from bringing your own tent and gear in the Magnificent Greens area to a spacious tent with a cozy bed and mattress in the Montagoe area.
We stayed in the Montagoe area, which made for an easy 15-minute walk to and from the festival each day. For those not camping, shuttle buses and taxis were about 45 minutes away. If taxis are your choice of transportation, finding one driver to utilize for the weekend is recommended so you don’t get too ripped off going back and forth to the festival. Shuttles, rideshares, and daily parking are all options, but none are conveniently near Tomorrowland.
Inside the festival, even with 16 stages, we didn’t encounter much sound bleed between areas. Stages did get loud, though, and thankfully, we remembered the importance of hearing protection and had our earplugs. If you weren’t so lucky to have earplugs, do not worry—workers were walking through the entire festival with earplugs for purchase.
There were so many details inside the venue that when we stopped to think about the logistics, we were blown away by Tomorrowland’s ability to execute many of the concepts. One example was a post office, where you could write postcards and mail them to your friends and family. There were also full restaurant services available, the Brasa experience being one of our favorites.
Honestly, everything in the venue felt curated to perfection. Our only query was the crowds on some of the days. Areas such as the bridge to Crystal Garden or the path to the right of the main stage would get incredibly crowded, moving between sets. One thing that we noticed improved traffic flow was signage on various paths intended for one-way traffic. Now, not everybody adhered to the signage, but it did seem to help.
Overall: A-
Tomorrowland is the best when it comes to festival production, music, and the overall attendee experience. It is a place beyond your wildest festival dreams, and it’s impossible to truly grasp the concept of this magical world until you physically step foot into it.
The first morning you wake up in Dreamville, you realize why they call it Dreamville. It feels like a fever dream when it’s all done, and you question if any of it is real. Even after attending many festivals, this one has taken the longest to process, and we still don’t feel like we have scratched the surface of everything we wanted to share about the weekend.
Tomorrowland is so much more than a festival. Although the price tag can seem scary, it is a trip of a lifetime, and the memories you create are priceless. If you love dance music and the community, or you’re seeking an unforgettable experience, Tomorrowland is a must for your bucket list. The friendships and fresh perspective of dance music this festival brings are so worth it.
Until the People of Tomorrow gather again, this is your reminder to Live Today, Love Tomorrow, and Unite Forever.
All images courtesy of Tomorrowland
