After a fire destroyed Tomorrowland’s main stage, Metallica stepped in to save the festival with their M72 tour rig.
One of the world’s biggest EDM festivals nearly didn’t happen over the weekend, and it’s heavy metal giants Metallica that fans have to thank for keeping the lights (and lasers) on.
Belgium’s Tomorrowland festival was thrown into chaos just one day before its July 17 start, when a serious fire broke out and destroyed the event’s massive main stage. Footage posted online showed smoke and flames consuming the towering structure, with fireworks reportedly going off during the blaze. No injuries were reported, but the damage threatened headline performances from acts like Swedish House Mafia, Steve Aoki, David Guetta, Eric Prydz and Deadmau5.
According to local firefighter François van den Eynde, the fire spread “very quickly” due to the materials used in the build. “Despite all our resources, it was impossible to stop something like that,” he told reporters. “We tried to extinguish the fire, but as soon as you realize you’re not succeeding, you have to limit the damage to the rest of the festival site.”
With 38,000 attendees arriving the next day, festival organisers moved quickly to find a solution, and that solution came from an unexpected source: Metallica. The band’s enormous stage set from their M72 World Tour, which had just wrapped up in Europe, was sitting in storage in Austria. The rig was airlifted to Belgium overnight and assembled in time for the festival to proceed as planned according to reporting from HLN.
Martin Garrix, who performed at Tomorrowland, was the first to publicly thank the band. “I can not believe I’m actually typing this… but my set at Tomorrowland is still happening!” he posted ahead of the weekend, alongside a photo of himself with 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…”
Tomorrowland spokesperson Debby Wilmsen called the turnaround “a miracle” in a statement to DJ Mag adding that crews were “still demolishing the old stage” just hours before gates opened.
While the fire’s exact cause remains under investigation, some reports from Gazet van Antwerpen have pointed to the stage’s fireworks cannons potentially malfunctioning during a test.
Tomorrowland 2025 features an all-star lineup, including Armin Van Buuren, Axwell, John Summit, and Aussies FISHER and NERVO. Metallica, on the other hand, will bring their M72 World Tour to Australia this November, with stadium shows lined up across Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
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