Tomorrowland has confirmed that it will be banning “large-scale” fireworks and having “limited pyrotechnics” due to wildfire fears.
The restrictions for the 2026 edition were introduced in time for the first weekend, which took place earlier this month. In the announcement, the festival revealed that the limitations had been recommended by the local authorities in Belgium in response to the dry weather creating elevated fire risks.
The country remains under a Code Orange risk for wildfires due to the weather conditions, which is the second highest level that can be issued.
Now, with weekend two underway, organisers have said that the same restrictions will be in place from now until Sunday night (July 26) when the festival wraps up.
Only the main stage will be permitted to use pyrotechnics, and these will have to be T1 and T2 effects – which are slightly smaller variations and can be more accurately controlled.
Organisers added that they will not be using the same high-altitude fireworks that they have had at previous instalments, and have selected them this year to comply with advice from local authorities. They also said that there will be daily safety assessments in place to see whether they can use the fireworks at all.
Other rules to ensure safety include a ban on personal barbecues and cooking equipment at the campsite. Instead, visitors are being provided with communal cooking areas in designated locations.
Performers at weekend two of Tomorrowland include Calvin Harris, ALOK, Mall Grab and Indira Paganotto.
The hot and dry conditions have been affecting other festivals too, and last month alone, thousands of music fans endured disruption and disappointment as major festivals faced extreme heat and severe storms.
On June 26, for example, Defqon.1 – a 50,000 capacity dance music event in The Netherlands – cancelled the event due to a “code red warning” had been issued by Dutch authorities for extreme heat.
Near Brussels, Katy Perry’s 55,000 capacity Werchter Boutique headline performance was canceled due to severe thunderstorms too. She later posted online “I am sorry I can’t change the weather, and even sorrier (sic) that all of us can’t be together tonight.”
Elsewhere last month Fred Schneider, vocalist with dance-rock legends The B-52’s, described the band’s experience at The C Trop Music Festival in Tilloloy, France as “a total disaster”, with their set cancelled minutes before performance time.
Around the time of the Defqon.1 cancellation, Holger Schmidt, General Secretary at European Festivals Association (YOUROPE), said: “I cannot recall a heatwave of such a widespread scale, particularly one accompanied by the highest temperatures ever recorded.”
A spokesperson for the festival also spoke to NME and explained why they were forced to cancel the event last minute: “You reach a tipping point when it comes to the safety of your visitors and employees. Code Red is definitely that. We must not take any unnecessary risks when it comes to everyone’s well-being.
“We understand the visitors’ frustration, because we, as an organisation, feel it just as much.”
