No guarantees that Tomorrowland can go ahead yet, mayors stress

No guarantees that Tomorrowland can go ahead yet, mayors stress
Credit: Belga

The relaxations announced by Belgium's Consultative Committee last week do not yet guarantee that Tomorrowland will be able to go ahead this summer, the mayors of the municipalities hosting the festival stressed on Monday.

While the Tomorrowland organisation believes that a combination of vaccinations and rapid tests at the entrance will allow the festival to take place safely, Boom mayor Jeroen Baert and Rumst mayor Jurgen Callaerts remain cautious.

"We are happy for the company, the employees and the visitors that some prospects are being offered, but those prospects do not yet mean a green light on all fronts," they told Het Laatste Nieuws.

"At most, we think they offer an opportunity for Tomorrowland to further prepare for what could possibly be a modified edition with preconditions," they said, adding that everything will just have to "wait and see" how the situation evolves over the summer.

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"We have learned in this pandemic that three months can mean a world of difference, both for the better and for the worse," they added.

The mayors themselves, as the local authorities in charge of granting authorisation for events, still have many questions "that may only be answered at a much later stage."

Additionally, the people living in the neighbourhood where the dance festival is usually organised already expressed their scepticism about the possible continuation of the festival, particularly about the impact on local schools and sports clubs.

Earlier, the Pukkelpop festival - which takes place in Kiewit in the Limburg province - already announced that it would go ahead this year at full capacity, which is about 66,000 visitors a day, from 19 to 22 August.

“There will be a few changes, but it will be non-social distance and you won’t have to wear a face mask. It doesn’t have to be seated, you can walk around and you can kiss each other,” organiser Chokri Mahassine said on Studio Brussel.


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