My Tomorrowland Belgium Diary
There is nothing quite like reliving memories through the art of writing. I started my official Tomorrowland Belgium diary when I left for Amsterdam. Unfortunately I didn’t keep up with it and only managed to write scribbles about the first 2 days. But I like to think my memory is pretty good so let’s hope this diary lives up to the expectations of how my Tomorrowland weekend was truly experienced!
Day 1: Eindhoven, Netherlands to Boom, Belgium
I boarded my Tomorrowland bus in Eindhoven and was greeted with my golden ticket. We stopped halfway for our included lunch at a local restuarant near the border of Netherlands and Belgium where I made friends with various different people on my bus; two which were a mother and son duo, she promised each of her children that when they turned 18 she would take them all to Tomorrowland. Either that’s a really great way to keep an eye on your children, or a fantastic excuse to be able to party like crazy every year.
We arrived in Boom and were greeted with crowds of locals waving and cheering, sitting outside their doors with cups of tea. The official Tomorrowland flag was being waved from almost every window, banister and flag pole possible. Clearly the locals love the economy boost every year, I could only imagine how much they charge to rent out their houses for two weekends of the year.
The check in process was so quick and easy that I actually forgot I was at a festival with 200,000 other people. Walking under the giant blow up rainbow into Dreamville I was greeted with a crisp boardwalk, colourful outfits, flags, banners and beautifully organised tents and cabins all lined up down the large field.
To be honest I don’t remember much after setting up my tent, I didn’t make it to the Welcome Festival at Dreamville because I was far too sick, and really just needed to snuggle down on my yoga mat of a bed, under my wafer thin excuse of a sleeping bag. I had just spent 19 days travelling and drinking my way through three countries, so my body was sending me warning signals that it was close to caving in. And I wasn’t about to spend a night beating my kidneys to oblivion to miss out on any part of Tomorrowland.
That isn’t to say I didn’t partake in a few beverages before hitting the sack at 9pm. And as much as I was lying on one of the most uncomfortable beds in the world; an early night was exactly what the doctor ordered and I felt good as new the next morning.
Read my Tomorrowland Survival Guide for Everything you Need to Know!
Day 2: Front Row for Marshmallow and a Giant Mechanical Dragon
Today’s attire was a sheer white t-shirt, with high waisted ‘briefs’ and Nike running shoes. Accompanied by a crap load of glitter on my face and body.
I started the day with a smile on my face, and the smile only grew! The atmosphere in Dreamville was nothing I can ever explain, but something I hope I can experience at least once more in my lifetime. Happiness was oozing out the pores of everyone in the village eagerly waiting for the first official day of Tomorrowland. I opted for a free shower this morning, which meant it was essentially a row of cold outdoor showers being shared with several other people trying their best to wash themselves while standing around in their togs.
We preloaded with cheap beer excited for what the afternoon was going to bring and the excitement only increased the closer we got to Tomorrowland. The walk from our tents to the festival grounds must have been about 1km long, but the entertainment along the route made you wish they had made it a little longer.
There was a small brass band playing tunes while riding a sort of multi level, 4 wheel bike? ‘silly’ bikes with stupid and almost dangerous way to ride were free to experience.
We successfully passed through the bag search and entered onto the Tomorrowland grounds. Strolling up to the field I could just see the peak of the main stage, and I initially felt quite underwhelmed for the size of the stage. Until I climbed over the hill and saw that the stage was actually sitting down in the field and we were standing several metres above looking down on the stage. I have never felt quite so dwarfed than I did in that moment.
Marshmallow was one of our first acts we saw who was conveniently based at the main stage. We made our way down into the crowd and worked our way towards the front until we were 1-2 rows away from the stage. The next hour or two included a lot of dancing and a fair bit of shoulder riding.
There were a couple of women who clearly didn’t want to lose their place in the mosh pit and pleaded to the security at the stage for some bottles of water. The hesitation from security quickly disappeared when the women simultaneously flashed the security as payment.
I have never danced for so long in my life, every joint in my body ached, yet when I crawled down onto my yoga mat of discomfort I couldn’t wait to do it all again only 12 hours later.
Day 3: Rest Easy Chester Bennington
Well night two began with a sombre start. I turned on my phone to do my daily check in with my family to let them know I was still alive and I was hit with the news that Chester Bennington, the lead singer of Linkin Park, had passed away.
I started my afternoon like the previous day; getting ready for a night of amazing adventure! I covered myself up with a bralette, high waisted briefs, fishnet stockings with a tartan long sleeved shirt tied around my waist for in case the temperature dropped.
Today was probably the best night of Tomorrowland; my outfit was as on point as possible (especially for someone who didn’t have the luxury of carrying around singly use outfits). I knew what to expect and I think my happiness level had reached it peak knowing I still had one more night to go. We bounced between several stages, spending a lot of time at the indoor techno stage and the Organ of Harmony. I grabbed some of the best festival food ever and even spent part of the night dancing in the rain.
The festival ended for the night but my love for dancing wasn’t ready to be put to bed. I ran the 1km back to Dreamville to join another hundred or so campers to dance outside the radioshack. Thinking back to this moment I have never felt as free as I did this weekend.
The only responsibility I had was my health; I didn’t have work in the morning, all of my valuables were locked up safe, I didn’t have to make sure anyone got a ride home, and I didn’t worry about making a fool of myself because I was surrounded by people doing the exact same thing and living in the moment. Dancing in your underwear is a truly liberating moment, and I was lucky to experience it legally in public!
Day 4: Going out with a Bang, and Condensation in my Raincoat
Today’s attire was brought to you by a complete lack of effort and care. I was more worried about seeing out the last night of Tomorrowland until the very end. A bralette and workout leggings was all I could muster up out of my floor-drobe in my one man tent, but I really couldn’t care about what I looked like because at this moment I was one of the happiest people on earth. I was on the opposite side of the world and making the most of life at one of the biggest music festivals in the world. Was I really going to let an outfit rule my emotions for a night? Clearly not.
We ended our Tomorrowland experience at main stage and took in as many moments as possible; dancing with strangers and in the rain, standing in awe at the fantastic firework display that signaled the end of Tomorrowland for another year.
Day 5: Good Morning and Until Next Time Tomorrowland Belgium
As we left our campsite we walked down paths lined with full cartons of beer and packets of cigarettes. All neatly placed and piled at the side of the pathway in the hopes that some poor sod will take them for the trip to their next destination. It almost felt like the last salute to a bloody good weekend, or token of regret sitting in front of deserted camp sites and flooded tents.
I can’t remember the bus ride back to Eindhoven, maybe I slept the whole way or maybe I was so sad about leaving that I have subconsciously blocked out the moment I waved goodbye to Belgium. But I couldn’t have found a better AirBnb for my first night back in the Netherlands. My host was a huge EDM fan and we shared dinner while listening to EDM artists and talking about various festivals, clubs and dance scenes around Europe.
Tomorrowland Belgium is hands down one of the best experiences of my life, so much so that I wanted to share my Tomorrowland survival guide for any first time Tomorrowland attendees, give it a read before you head to one of the best weekends of your life!
