4 days of Tomorrowland Summer 2023 at Boom, Belgium
Tomorrowland, my version of Disneyland
Finally, the long-awaited day has arrived – my first time at Tomorrowland this summer in 2024! The anticipation and excitement have been building up for months, imagining the vibrant music, colorful outfits, and endless dancing. As I pack my festival essentials and make sure I have everything I need for this epic adventure, I can't help but feel a rush of adrenaline and joy.
I took a flight to Paris and had a layover for a couple of days. The city has changed so much from pre-covid and you can now cycle everywhere, which I found so convenient and fun. Being a last-minute traveler, my friend suggested booking train tickets on Rail Europe from Paris to Brussels, and I am thankful I listened. The train was completely full, reaffirming the value of planning ahead for Tomorrowland trips.
You step into a magical wonderland the moment you arrive at Brussels Train Station. Colourful mascots greeted us with enthusiastic waves, guiding us towards the transport booths or taxi stands livened up by beats of top EDM hits being performed by talented bands lining along the way. We bought the Global Journey Package with hotel stay at Brussels Marriot Hotel Grand Place and collected our Tomorrowland packages swiftly after check in. It also includes the pre-party at Gare Maritime Food Market on Thursday evening and the atmosphere buzzed with energy and excitement, setting the perfect tone for the adventure that awaited us that magical weekend. We used Dott to squirrel around the city and to the pre-party with bikes and skate scoot but took a metered cab back to hotel that night.
DAY 1 - Walking the entire festival ground
We were lucky to have friends who booked the mansion and had a vehicle pass so together with some friends, we booked a car to drive us in and out of the festival ground. This saved us lots of time and energy as we heard the walk to and fro the shuttle and festival ground was about 45 minutes, excluding the queue and travel time. Pay a fee and we have access to the Mousai area i.e lounge and our friend’s accommodation. We checked out the comfort area (worth purchasing if you have the budget as you get table service and a better view at the Mainstage) and walked through the massive festival grounds with 14 stages:
Mainstage: The iconic centerpiece with huge LED screens and amazing pyrotechnics.
Organ of Harmony: A stage shaped like an organ, known for its unique design and mesmerizing music.
Rose Garden: A stage surrounded by beautiful flower arrangements, creating a magical atmosphere.
Cage: An electrifying stage with a cage-like structure and intense beats that will keep you dancing all night.
Arch: A stage with a stunning archway design, hosting a mix of electronic music genres.
Tulip Stage: A vibrant stage with colorful tulip decorations and a lively vibe.
Freedom Stage: A stage dedicated to techno and underground music lovers, known for its intimate setting.
Elixir: A mysterious stage with an alchemy theme, featuring eclectic music performances.
Leaf: An eco-friendly stage with a sustainability focus, showcasing innovative artists.
Core: A futuristic stage with cutting-edge visuals and pulsating sounds.
Carnival Parade: A mobile stage that moves through the festival grounds, spreading joy and music.
Cage: An energetic stage with a cage-like structure, hosting high-energy performances.
Rave Cave: An underground stage for those who want to dive into the depths of electronic music.
Spectra: A stage with a focus on light shows and visual effects, creating a truly mesmerizing experience.
Your EDM musical journey will be completed here! I spent most of the day lying on the lawn at Mainstage and went to the VIP Box, of which we bought passes to, by nightfall for the line-ups that ended with Tiesto and fireworks finally. Our car took us back and we stumbled to a kebab store to fill our rumbling tummies (the good thing about staying in Brussels - you have the option of getting supper and choice of breakfast, lunch and shopping) before we head back to our hotel.
DAY 2 - Exploring Dreamville and lunch at BRASA
We didnt manage to get into CORE on the first day as the queue was hysterically long and I know why it was when we decided to head in on the 2nd day. This stage became my personal favourite immediately, a trippy haven where you’d find the medusa head erected in the forest enclave. We headed out for food and some drinks at Brasa, a food experience for BBQ and Grills, but found ourselves drawn back into it right after. Brasa is worth adding on once in the 3 days you’re there. Be sure to book the time slot when your favourite DJ is NOT spinning! I remembered missing Alesso’s spin at 9pm because as music at CORE was so enjoyable, the vibe was sooo chill. I particularly liked Carlita’s set. I was pretty intoxicated by night and only remembering enjoying myself VERY MUCH back in the VIP box for Armin’s set.
DAY 3 - Ferris wheel and lunch at MESA
Highlight of the day was the ferris wheel which we missed and it was right beside Rose Garden, which seemed like the only place that sells wine. The ride is also a must do as it shows you how expansive the entire Tomorrowland Party Town is. We also covered more of the other stages we missed like Spectra and Freedom for a lil bit of hard core techno but of course spent most of our time at CORE once again. Lunch was at MESA, at a restaurant overlooking the Mainstage. It starting raining then but the party went on with party-goers donning on coloured ponchos. A few of them started to hon their country’s flag over themselves and ran around the empty lawn and those were quickly joined by many others to what soon became a circle of say of 40 nationalities prancing in the rain united by MUSIC.
Tomorrowland is like an EDM lover’s Disneyland. It was a weekend of EAT, SLEEP, RAVE, REPEAT! The tickets are not easy to get so you’d have to camp for it during its sale. They are usually sold out in 30 minutes. And if you have the budget, I’d recommend staying at the Montague as you have your own room and its right next to the festival ground. If you’re lucky, you can score the ones with ensuite toilets otherwise, there’s options with shared toilet. Global Journey package is the next best, only due to the fact that there is a 45 min walk to and fro the parking space to the festival ground. Still, I wouldn’t say no because warm shower and a comfy bed awaits at the end of the night.