Tomorrowland's Mainstage sails from Belgium to Thailand on barge for Asian debut

The iconic Mainstage of the Tomorrowland festival is embarking on an extraordinary journey from Belgium to Thailand, disassembled and packed into more than 100 containers for the event's inaugural Asian edition.

Following the conclusion of this year's festival at De Schorre in Boom, Belgium, the components of the main stage have been meticulously dismantled. On Tuesday, the first 114 containers began their voyage towards Asia via the port of Antwerp. The logistics company Hutchison Ports Belgium is handling the loading onto a barge at the Brussels-Scheldt Sea Canal in Willebroek. An additional 50 containers are scheduled to depart next week, followed by a final seven containers carrying production equipment.

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It's fitting to do it this way. Such a load really cannot be transported by road anymore. Inland waterway transport is more environmentally friendly, and the containers are also loaded with an electric crane.

Martine Hiel of Hutchison Ports Belgium emphasized the environmental benefits of this transport method. "It's fitting to do it this way. Such a load really cannot be transported by road anymore. Inland waterway transport is more environmentally friendly, and the containers are also loaded with an electric crane," she stated. The barge, named 'Eiger Nordwand,' normally operates on the Rhine River but is being utilized for this special transport due to low water levels on its usual route.

The containers are expected to arrive in Thailand by the end of September, with the stage construction commencing shortly after for the festival, which runs from December 11 to 13 in Chonburi. Tomorrowland spokesperson Debby Wilmsen explained that rebuilding the stage from scratch in Thailand is not a viable option due to the specialized expertise required, which is concentrated in their Belgian workshop. "Other stages are sometimes used only for an edition in a specific country, but visitors in Thailand expect to see our showpiece. The main stage is too expensive not to let it travel around the world," Wilmsen added, underscoring the value and unique design of the main stage.

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Other stages are sometimes used only for an edition in a specific country, but the visitors in Thailand expect to see our showpiece. The main stage is too expensive not to let it travel around the world.