BOOM, Belgium – Although the main Tomorrowland EDM event in Boom, Belgium once again drew crowds with top EDM artists performing over two weekends in July, the biggest spectacle generating international headlines in 2017 was the fire that engulfed the stage of a “mirror” event in Barcelona, Spain on July 29, forcing the evacuation of 22,000 attendees. A typhoon also forced the cancellation of a similar event in Taiwan.
The satellite events, called Unite with Tomorrowland, are held the same weekends as the main event in Boom and draw EDM fans with video of the headliners in Belgium complemented by synchronized special effects along with in-person headliners to keep the parties going. These “mirror” events took place this year in Barcelona, Dubai, Germany, Israel, Lebanon, Malta, South Korea and, until a typhoon forced its cancellation, Taiwan.
The fire in Parc de Can Zam, just north of Barcelona in Santa Coloma de Gramenet, broke out just before midnight on July 29. Video shows the fire starting on one of the temporary outdoor structures flanking the large stage’s main video display and quickly spreading until it engulfs the entire stage structure. The flames forced the cancellation of Steve Aoki’s performance; the EDM headliner was slated to appear at 2 a.m.
Festival organizers, who cited a “technical malfunction” as the cause of the fire, canceled the event that had been slated for the following day and offered refunds for both nights’ shows. They also credited attendees for the orderly evacuation. Of the 22,143 evacuated, approximately 20 were treated for minor injuries and anxiety, according to reports.
Earlier the same day (July 29) festival organizers for the Unite with Tomorrowland event slated for Kaohsiung in southwest Taiwan announced that both the July 29 and July 30 events would have to be cancelled due to bad weather from Typhoon Nesat. They also announced that full refunds would be offered.
First staged in 2005, Tomorrowland expanded to a two-weekend format in 2014. Although Tomorrowland organizers have attempted to stage full EDM festivals overseas, including TomorrowWorld near Atlanta in 2013, 2014 and 2015 and Tomorrowland Brasil in 2015 and 2016, for 2017 the organizers focused on the Unite with Tomorrowland events, working with partners in each country.
Official statements from the Unite with Tomorrowland festival organizers in Spain and Taiwan follow.
Barcelona, Spain:
Tonight, July 29th 2017, the UNITE Barcelona stage caught fire due to a technical malfunction. Thanks to the professional intervention of the authorities all 22.000 visitors were evacuated safely and without reports of injuries. Authorities will follow up and continue the investigation with the local Spanish organizer of UNITE.
Kaohsiung, Taiwan:
Due to the impact of Typhoon Nesat, the Kaohsiung City Government has decided that all outdoor activities on Saturday July 29th starting from 18:00 will be cancelled. With this official government decision and to ensure everyone’s safety, UNITE With Tomorrowland Taiwan deeply regrets that the event in Kaohsiung City is cancelled.
All ticket holders are eligible for a refund, which can be redeemed through all ticket vendors – KKTIX, FunNow, iBon, TicketBox, Festicket. Kindly contact these ticket vendors for further instructions.
