Metallica helped save dance music festival Tomorrowland in Belgium over the weekend after a devastating fire destroyed the main stage.

Last Wednesday afternoon (16th July), a massive fire gutted the elaborate ice-themed main stage at Tomorrowland just hours before campsites opened at the 200,000-capacity event. Fortunately, no one was injured in the fire.

Despite the setback, astonishingly a brand-new stage was erected directly in front of the burnt-out wreckage in just 24 hours – thanks to Metallica.

 

Heavy metal legends’ stage, in storage after European leg, was airlifted overnight to festival grounds and quickly assembled in time for this weekend’s fest

Belgium's Tomorrowland Saved by Metallica After Fire Destroys Main Stage

People attend the first day of the Tomorrowland electronic music festival on July 18, 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, festivalgoers have Metallica to thank for Tomorrowland continuing on despite the blaze.

On Wednesday, a day before Tomorrowland’s start, a “serious” fire destroyed the festival’s “beloved Mainstage,” and while no one was hurt in the incident, the blaze threatened the cancellation of headlining sets by EDM giants like Swedish House Mafia, David Guetta, Steve Aoki, Dillon Francis, Deadmau5, and Eric Prydz.

After the fire was extinguished, organizers pledged to soldier on with the festival, as Tomorrowland spokesperson Debby Wilmsen said, “Years of love and passion have gone into building that stage. Those teams are devastated. Tomorrow, 38,000 festivalgoers 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.”

Metallica, who recently announced a 2026 European leg of their M72 Tour, have not yet commented on saving Tomorrowland.