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Belgium’s Tomorrowland Music Festival began on Friday just two days after a massive fire engulfed the main stage and questioned one of Europe’s biggest summer concert events.
Workers began walking 24 hours a day to clear debris from the elaborate background that had flareed up on Wednesday evening.
“We made it!” cried, Australian electronic music group Nervo, the opening performer of the festival, was able to proceed to the exchange main stage on Friday after a last-minute scramble and a slight delay.
The burnt framework from the original stage was visible behind it.
No one was injured in the fire, organizers said, and the cause is still under investigation.
The festival crew worked all night and quickly built a new, stripped stage in time for the first performers.
Tomorrowland spokesman Debby Wilmsen said the new stage was “very intimate” and includes speakers that were also used in Metallica’s show.
Hundreds of thousands of people around the world are taking part in Tomorrowland’s annual multi-day festival outside the Belgian town boom.
About 38,000 people were camping on the festival site on Friday, Willssen said.
“Maybe some people want to get a refund, but most of them are still at the festival, so that’s like a very small percentage.”
“It’s all about unity and I think they still have a good time with the good atmosphere and positive energy our festival attendees provide to each other,” she said.
“We really did our best.”
Australian fans Zak Hiscock and Brooke Antoniou traveled around the world to see the famous festival as part of their summer vacation to Europe, but explained their hearings about the fire.
“We were having dinner when we actually heard the news that the stage was burning out. We traveled a long way, so it was so devastated and shattered,” Hiscock said.
Ukrainian visitors Oleksandr Beshkynskyi shared the joy that the festival went according to plan.
“It’s about not just the DJ or two that you want to see, but all the moods and dreams are alive,” Beshkynskyi said.
Tomorrowland is the world’s largest electronic music festival and is expected to attract around 400,000 people over the weekend.
Additional sources •AP