Tomorrowland Festival: The A to Z of EDM’s Biggest Weekend

Tomorrowland, one of the most prominent EDM festivals in the world, returns to Boom, Belgium for its 13th year during the final two weekends of July 2017 (the 21st to the 23rd and the 28th to the 30th, to be exact). Festival organizers bumped it up from its usual single weekend run to back-to-back weeks in order to accommodate the extra demand. This year, the mega event sold 400,000 tickets—more than ever in its history—as the festival has steadily grown, due in large part to mainstream pop culture’s continued embrace of this decade’s EDM explosion. The annual fest draws people from countries all over the world and is famous for bringing together fans of all cultures and ethnicities to enjoy the common interest of dance music.

The internationally popular three-day European festival is so in-demand that tickets sold out in just over an hour this year. Fans jump at the opportunity to not only experience one of the most well-known and respected events in the dance music realm, but also to listen to their favorite artists, both local and global. This year’s lineup features classic favorites like Tiesto, Armin van Buuren, and Steve Angello alongside the new generation of mega-talent like Marshmello, Alison Wonderland, and DJ Snake.

Among the major attractions that draw partygoers are the décor and stage designs each year. Tomorrowland’s main stage tops its predecessor year by year, and the Internet is already buzzing with alleged leaked photos and chatter about what’s to come. Real rave heads dress up in costume and bring festive accessories like totems that poke above the crowds for groups to identify each other and kandi bracelets to trade with friends, old and new.

For more info on the legend that is Tomorrowland, check out the website, where recaps of each year’s festivities and amazing stages live on for fans to reminisce over. Below, check out the A to Z of everything you need to know about this year’s Tomorrowland music festival. Stay safe and rave hard, my friends.

A variety of amenities are provided throughout the festival, including lockers for rent, FreshPoints (designated areas to freshen up), a selection of earplugs for free or for a fee, and chargers for mobile devices. Dreamville campers also have access to showers, a Lidl Supermarket, and hairdressers and makeup artists, among other features to help make the stay more comfortable.

During both weekends, off-site fans can livestream the festival via its website at tomorrowland.com.

Make sure to take a minute before or after your journey to check out the massive chocolate selection at the Brussels airport.

Tomorrowland recognizes that many of its festival-goers come from all around the world and look to enjoy the unique qualities of Boom and its surrounding areas. The Global Journey packages offer different sets of services and experiences for attendees to explore Belgium and Europe, along with suggestions for hotels and transportation off-site.

Not only are the food selections expansive, but Dirtybird player Eats Everything will also be in the mix serving up fresh and crispy beats.

What a fun name for a British musical trio who will play weekend 2 on the Smash the House stage. Hopefully these polar bears can withstand climate change! Haha, here’s a fun reminder that the world is ending, and it’s our fault.

With its mammoth stages, creative décor, and storybook scenery, you’re pretty much guaranteed to get the perfect ‘gram to add to your collection at this year’s festival. Throw a 40% Crema filter on that for maximum likes…or maybe Gingham? Anyway, getting the Instagram shot will be the easy part.

Foodtruck Island, to be exact. It’s, you know, an island…made of food trucks…within the festival.

J is for JFC, THESE STAGES ARE CRAZY! Tomorrowland is known as a pioneer in the now-standardized practice of creating behemoth stages to frame the artists that grace each set of decks.

Krewella represents two heavily marginalized demographics on mainstream EDM lineups: women and people of color. While a more diverse representation of genders, races, ethnicities, sexualities, and backgrounds are making their way to the spotlight of dance music events, it’s imperative that promoters and fans continue to seek out talent from all walks of life to share their music and art.

Tomorrowland is known for its picturesque scenery, with Boom, Belgium as the backdrop for its grand stages filled with world-class talent.

Head to the online or on-site merch store, where you’ll find branded tees and hats adorned with uber-trendy flower embroidery, as well as sweaters, accessories, and even a kids’ collection. The kids’ shop features Tomorrowland pacifiers intended for babies and definitely not for you as an adult at a rave.

Tomorrowland offers a host of online resources to make the festival experience as comfortable as possible. In addition to an app with timetables, quick resources, and FAQs, attendees must pre-register their wristbands to use the cashless system and to ensure smooth entry.

According to the Tomorrowland website, “Pearl is the official cashless currency of Tomorrowland and Dreamville.” With Pearl, attendees load up their accounts online prior to entry and use their festival bracelets to pay within the grounds.

Dreamville offers a “chill-out” zone to escape the madness of the festival, just in case you need to take a beat.

Tomorrowland plans to host activations in eight locations all over the world on July 29, where different venues will connect with the main stage in Boom to create an incredibly unique international party. Unite, as it’s called, promises synchronized special effects, live streaming, and curated lineups to make this series of events one for the books.

The Gathering is a Dreamville-exclusive festival pre-party. Only those with Dreamville passes are permitted to this campground affair on the night before the festival doors open.

Tomorrowland upholds a strict age requirement, and only adults aged 18+ are permitted into the festival.