Heavy metal legends' stage, in storage after European leg, airlifted overnight to festival grounds and quickly assembled in time for this weekend's fest
People attend the first day of the Tomorrowland electronic music festival, Friday 18 July 2025, in Boom. Marius Burgelman/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images
The popular EDM festival Tomorrowland in Belgium is taking place this weekend despite a massive fire that “severely damaged” the main stage just a day before the fest was slated to begin. And, according to Martin Garrix, festival goers have Metallica to thank for Tomorrowland continuing on despite the blaze.
On Wednesday, a day before Tomorrowland’s July 17 start, a “serious” fire destroyed the festival’s “beloved Mainstage,” and while no one was hurt in the incident, the blaze threatened the cancelation of headlining sets by EDM giants like Swedish House Mafia, David Guetta, Steve Aoki, Dillon Francis, Deadmau5, and Eric Prydz.
After the fire was extinguised, organizers pledged to soldier on with the festivalm, as Tomorrowland spokesperson Debby Wilmsen said, “Years of love and passion have gone into building that stage. Those teams are devastated. Tomorrow, 38,000 festival-goers will arrive, we’re really looking forward to that, and we’re going to give them a warm welcome. We’re going to make it a wonderful festival.”
“We are focused on finding solutions for the festival weekend,” organizers added. Those solutions came courtesy of Metallica, whose stage from their M72 World Tour was being kept in storage in Austria and was quickly airlifted to Belgium overnight, HLN reports.
Garrix, who performed at Tomorrowland, was the first to acknowledge Metallica’s involvement in saving the festival. “I can not believe I’m actually typing this… but my set at Tomorrowland is still happening!”, Garrix wrote on Instagram alongside of photo of him and Lars Ulrich.
“Massive love and a big shoutout to the incredible Tomorrowland team for pulling off miracles — and to Metallica for coming through with the new stage parts…”
Wilmsen told DJ Mag, “It is a miracle and we are beyond happy to be opening. Two hours ago we were still demolishing the old stage.”
Metallica, who recently announced a 2026 European leg of their M72 Tour, has not yet commented on saving Tomorrowland.
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