The parent company of Belgian electronic music festival Tomorrowland has just signed a contract with the province of Antwerp, allowing the event to expand to a two-weekend spectacle until 2033. ID&T will pay 630,000 euros to the province every year to allow the festival to continue.
The Belgian towns of Boom and Rumst have seen undeniable economic benefit from the presence of Tomorrowland over the years. In a statement to HLN, Boom’s mayor Jeroen Baert described the effect the festival has had on the world’s awareness of the otherwise sleepy Belgium area: “Tomorrowland put our town on the world map.”
Baert’s colleague in Rumst echoed the point, adding the ever-rising demand for more ticket sales as the festival has grown in size and scope.
“You should be proud that the organizers want to organize such event here with us. At the same time there is a residents ever rising demand for tickets. With two weekends we can give the chance more people from our community to the unique event Tomorrowland which is dealing with.” [Translation]
According to Baert, the contract will be reviewed every year based on the logistics behind security, safety and mobility. If at any point the contract is deemed to have been violated by ID&T, it can be terminated with a one-year notice.
Meanwhile, some local residents have stood up against the contract, arguing that the nuisance the yearly event brings to the city is too detrimental to those who live there permanently.
