Festivals have always been something Jacob and I have enjoyed, even before we became a couple and attending them together made it even more fun.
After living in the USA for 5 years, there was never a shortage of festival options, whether it was Coachella in California, Ultra Music Festival in Miami or Electric Zoo in New York, we loved every one of them, but we knew there was always something bigger and better over in Europe.
The most sought-after EDM (Electronic Dance Music) festival in the world. The festival that draws 2 million people online for their chance to buy tickets. The festival that sells 180,000 tickets in a blink of an eye. The festival that allows an entire terminal at the airport to be taken over by attendees. The festival that turns a Boeing 747 into a party mid-air. The festival that brings together 180,000 attendees from over 100 countries worldwide. The festival that is Tomorrowland!
Quick Facts about Tomorrowland:
- What is it: The largest EDM festival in the world, originating in 2005.
- When is it: Every Summer usually towards the end of July.
- Where: Boom, located between Brussels and Antwerp, Belgium.
- Attendance: In 2005 when the festival first began there were 9000 people, in 2016 there were 180,000.
- Price: Depending on your type of ticket, one day passes start at 98€, 3 day passes 272€ and for some packages, as high as 6000€. Costs depend mainly on accommodation choices.
- Past Performers: Think of any EDM DJ in the world and I’m sure they have been. Otherwise; Armin van Buuren, Axwell Ingrosso, Steve Angelo, David Guetta, Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike, Steve Aoki, Martin Garrix, Martin Solveig are regulars and some of our favourites.
- Theme: Every year is a new theme, this year was Elixir of Life. “ Trust your senses… Take a deep breath and enter the gorgeous tale that will be written during your weekend. The Elixir of Life has the magnificent ability to bring you to your future, and your past. Live Today, Love Tomorrow, Unite Forever.”
Tomorrowland is more than just a music festival. It is an adult playground with an entire theatrical production. It is well known for its incredible lineup, mind-blowing sets, over the top magical scenery and the incredible firework and laser shows.
Let us take you on our 4-day journey…
How to get a ticket to Tomorrowland
Getting a ticket is obviously the most important part of it all. We won’t go into detail of all the different choices because it would take up the entirety of the post, however, please see the following page should you want to know your options.
Your tickets are wristbands that become your electronic wallet for the entirety of the festival. The festival is cashless and everything is charged for via your wristband. Prior to the festival, you load your money onto it and anything not spent will be returned.
The Global Journey Package
In a nutshell, the 3 day passes sell out almost instantly and you are considered extremely lucky if you can snatch up one of them on the date of sale. The best chance you have of getting a ticket is purchasing the “Global Journey Package“. This package is an organised package that includes everything you need!
Inside your Global Journey you’ll receive your flights (from your choice of selected European countries along with countries worldwide), hotel or camping (variety to choose from), the 3 day pass, transfers to and from the airport and festival, pre-parties, your flag, a goodie bag, a detox day and of course, the chance to meet people from all over! Although the package is a little more expensive, it is by far the most stress-free way to attend Tomorrowland.
Note: In order to be eligible for Tomorrowland ticket sales (not including Global Journey) you must complete a pre-registration generally opening in February. This gives you a unique access code in order to enter the online ticket store when the sale opens.
It all started at check in…
We arrived at the airport and had our own “Tomorrowland” check-in line. You could see the excitement on everyone’s faces as the lines began to move. People were coming from all over, already introducing themselves to one another. It’s started we thought, let the facebook friend requests begin. Stepping onto the plane in Barcelona, we didn’t realise that the entire plane would be filled with guests only attending the festival, not to mention an entire terminal in Brussels was dedicated to all the thousands of people travelling from all over.
There were seat covers on the seats, Tomorrowland newspapers in the back pockets and the staff were just as excited as the passengers. The captain made an announcement regarding the festival and proceeded to tell us that directly after takeoff, we will dim the lights, close the blinds, turn up the music, pass out glow sticks, hand out the beers (it is only 9:30am!) and get this party started…
“Your journey to Tomorrowland has begun”!
Every year, Brussel Airways have 180 flights from all over the world bringing people together in Belgium. Every one of them with a party in the sky. Ummm awesome!
Grand Place, Brussels (Pre-Party)
Grand Place is the centre of Brussels and has one of the most impressive squares we’ve seen in Europe, especially when the sun shines down onto the gold on the historic buildings. We took a walking tour throughout the city, but we both knew we were only in Brussels for one thing…
The day prior, the Grand Place comes alive with flower decorations, bar stalls, flags from all around the world, 1000’s of festival goers and a DJ up in the Maison Du Roi building. I’m sure people visiting Brussels, unaware that Tomorrowland was taking place may be slightly confused by the transformation of the square but we loved it.
The Gathering
“The Gathering” is the pre-opening party (with just a mere 35,000 people :O) of Tomorrowland and it happens in Boom at the camping site called “Dreamville” the Thursday before the festival begins.
This pre-party gave us a small taste of what was to come for the following 3 days. We jumped on board the bus from Grand Place and headed out to Boom for the one-hour journey. Strangely enough, even with such a range of nationalities surrounding us, our entire bus was filled with Australians proudly carrying Aussie flags. Travelling brings together nationalities from all over the world but you know, without fail, that meeting up with fellow Aussies, there is bound to be some seriously loud singing and an awful lot of Aussie slang being thrown around. In other words, you’re in for a good time.
Note: The Gathering party is only for people camping at DreamVille or people with the Global Journey Package. Day ticket holders or 3-day ticket holders do not get access.
The Official Party Begins: 3 Days of Madness
Not even the pre-party prepared us for what the next 3 days entailed. The gathering at Dreamville was large enough, but stepping into the festival grounds of Tomorrowland was something else. During the 3 days, the site in Boom was vibrant with life and was filled with a magic that you can only feel by being there.
More than 200 DJs take the stages and the choices of who to see, are endless. By downloading the app, we were able to set ourselves a rough plan of who we wanted to see and when. It didn’t always go to plan, but we were never left disappointed, as there were so many other places/tents/stages to stumble across.
Our days started with a buffet breakfast, a sensible move to line our stomachs! People gathered in our hotel lobby and every morning at 11:30 am we jumped on board the shuttles. The bus drivers set the mood with an upbeat playlist and by 12:00 pm we were onto our first drink of the day. Honestly, we weren’t sure we could make it 3 days in a row but as each day came to a close, we were still looking for more.
No matter the lack of sleep, or how badly our bodies wanted to take a break, we still woke up just as excited as we did the last. Sign of a good festival? Ah, Si! – That’s yes in Spanish
Paraphernalia
Apart from all the paraphernalia we received on our flight, upon landing, we were given our “goodie bags”. Inside was a journal, a pen, a pack of cards, an apple with “Global Journey” engraved, a tote bag and the most elaborate lip gloss, packaged inside of a 3 tier golden cylinder. I guess we know where some of our money went!
Fairytale Magic
Walking the festival grounds, it felt as though you were walking through a fairytale. The grounds were a story in itself and you couldn’t help but notice the extravagant scenery that was on every corner. Each stage had something unique about it, some were smaller than others, some were on podiums in the water, some inside, but one thing they did have in common were the over the top decorations and exquisite detail. Everything from fire-breathing dragons to hot air balloons, to giant lily pads and even as far as engraved floorboards.
The main stage was the most impressive stage we’ve ever seen. Flags from all over filled the dance floor, there were smiles from ear to ear on every single person, the costumes were at large and the backdrop of the stage was a moving story. There were many times throughout the night that we looked around and saw the number of people filling every single space on the dance floor and the grassy hills surrounding the stage and turned to each other and simply said: “This is incredible, how can we do this again next year”!
It’s the small things in life
Can we just talk for a second about how clean the bathrooms were at this festival? Public bathrooms. Everyone’s worst nightmare. However, these toilets were often cleaner than some hotel toilets we’ve used before. Every single time we found ourselves here (which I must admit was quite a few), they were always cleaned just moments before. There was running water & soap, people handing out deodorant and enough toilets that you never had to wait in a line! The smallest of things that can truly make a difference to a venue. Nobody likes to wait in line for the toilet, nor step into a toilet that makes you turn right back out the door.
The Australians
After meeting fellow Aussies at The Gathering, it soon became clear we would be seeing these guys a whole lot more. Every day we would gather on the hill at the main stage in the same spot and no matter how many times you left and came back, someone would always be there. We’d all just met each other but immediately everyone began looking out for one another and it was awesome.
Favourites
There wasn’t a single DJ we didn’t enjoy but there were definitely a few that stood out the most. Explaining every detail of each set would be merely impossible (& long) but if describing how we felt is any consolation then that’s the best we can do.
Armin Van Buuren, Martin Garrix, Dada Life and Dimitri Vegas + Like Mike were our top 4 choices and we have continued to watch their videos over and over, and every time our bodies are taken over by a wave of goosebumps.
Each of their sets had a firework display to coincide with the song they were playing and Jacob and I found ourselves dancing around like lunatics more than we ever have egged on by the hundreds of thousands around us. It was absolutely unbelievable and really, nothing we had ever seen before.
For most of the sets, we held back from the centre of the crowds. Getting to the front of the stage is a mission in itself but during the day when the crowds aren’t at their peak, it was possible.
During one of our favourite DJ’s we took advantage of this space and found our way to front centre stage for Dada Life with yet again, another bunch of Aussies. I think our ears were still ringing 2 weeks after leaving those speakers, but it was so unbelievably worth it.
Second, to the music, our favourite part of the weekend was having a dance with an 84-year-old seasoned festival goer! This man has been coming to music festivals for years and swears to return every year he possibly can. He was so into it and the nicest old man ever. Who says age can stop you from attending such events?! Let’s swap sunglasses!
If you want to relive any of these DJ’s, visit the official Tomorrowland Page and check them out!
Detox Day
As part of our Global Journey package, the Monday after the festival we were treated to a “Detox Day”. After being driven to a “secret location” just outside of Brussels, we spent the afternoon surrounded by relaxation and fun. Beanbags and games were scattered along the grass, whilst we filled our bodies with an all included healthy buffet lunch, snacked off the fruit stand & downed a few smoothies. They also provided massages & manicures along with an area for men to grab a shave. It was definitely the icing on the cake and it was such a fantastic way to end the 4 days, all whilst saying goodbye to our newly made friends.
Quick Tips for Tomorrowland:
- Pre-register for your tickets. Get on the computer early (as well as all your friends) and try to grab your tickets. Check out Electronic Festivals for detailed tips and tricks on getting a ticket.
- For an almost guaranteed ticket, go for the Global Journey Package. It’s worth every cent and is far less stressful.
- Once inside the festival, keep your water bottle lid so you can refill your bottles. (They take them away when you buy one).
- Remember to top up your bracelet before the festival so you can avoid the lines inside and grab the bonus’.
- Pick up your free flag before the festival & wear it there. Everyone gets one so you won’t look out of place! We wore ours the whole 3 days.
- Have a regular meeting spot in case you cannot reach your friends via phone.
- Don’t spend the whole time at the main stage, there is so much to explore!
- Download the Tomorrowland app. It helps to plan your day.
- Arrive early to get the most out of your day. We went every day from 12:30pm-1:00am and it still wasn’t enough.
- Don’t forget to eat! There are so many good international choices for food.
- Only bring a backpack if you really need too, the lines to get in are very long as they do thorough backpack checks.
- Don’t forget to apply for your refund before the final date to ensure you get any unused “pearls” back to your credit card.
- They provide deodorant at the bathrooms, but not sunscreen so come prepared.
- Pace yourself.
- Most importantly….have the most fun ever!
- See here for more tips on how to survive a festival.
Do you plan to head to Tomorrowland? Have any questions? Shoot us an email or comment and we’ll be happy to elaborate on any of the above information! Until then, watch the Tomorrowland 2016 Offical Aftermovie! It’s killer.
Festivals aren’t for everyone, but if you love EDM music, making new friends and dancing until you can’t possibly dance anymore, Tomorrowland should be on your next list of events to attend.
It was one of the biggest highlights of our 16-month trip so far and we would do it all over again in a heartbeat. Sometimes high expectations can ruin experiences but Tomorrowland exceeded ours from the moment we stepped onto the plane!
Can’t make Tomorrowland? See this list of other Belgium festivals by Cedric& Bo.
I wish we could say until next time, although…. never say never 😉
Thank you to Tomorrowland for some of these photos. Our phone photos just couldn’t do it justice and we didn’t have access to a helicopter ;).
Married days survived; 512
hi every one
i need some help for obtaining the global journey ticket
i live in Kuwait(middle east)
should be wait for pre-registration or what should i do ???????????
Hi Ahmed!
The pre-registration is just for the tickets, not the Global Journey. Last year we pre-registered for tickets (just in case we wanted them and not the package) but found out you actually didn’t need to for the Global Journey. The Global Journey will come out before the normal tickets. We strongly advise going for this option as everything is organised for you and it is a fantastic way to experience the whole journey! Let us know if you have any other questions!
Hi I’m going to tomorrowland next year and I wanted to know How much is usually the global package cost roughly around if u know?
Hey Justin,
It depends on what level of hotel you have and where you are coming from. We paid almost 1300 pp for return flights from Barcelona and a silver package room.
I’ve been trying to go to tomorrowland, am a Somali passport holder is it possible to get a belgium visa and visit the place
Hey Bashir,
Unfortunately we cannot comment on visa requirements for your trip to Brussels. I would suggest calling the embassy and or looking online. We wouldn’t want to give you the wrong information. Goodluck1
hi emily….
Namaste!! from India.
i’m attending tomorrowland 2017 and got my global journey train package from paris.
In your blog you have written to “pick your free flags”. Are they TML flags or country flags and where to get them? (as they have mentioned nothing like that in global journey confirmation ticket mailed to us)
Thanks.
Hello Avdhesh,
Amazing! I’m so jealous. It was so much fun! As for the flags, you will get your countries flag, the country you were in when you purchased your ticket that is linked to your credit card. You can change it there if they have availability should you want a different flag. It is given on the pre-party days, the day before the actual festival starts :). Have the best time!
Each person who purchased a ticket gets a flag? Or one for the entire group order?
Thank you!
Each person who pays for a global package ticket gets a flag, not a regular ticket.
Does each person get a flag or just one for the group purchase?
Thanks
Each person who pays for a Global Package.
what are the chances to buy tickets from a person outside the festival
Not entirely sure but we didn’t see anyone selling them/I wouldn’t risk it.
Hi Emily! We are going for the first time to Tomorrowland 2017, got a Global Journey. Can you please help us with some answers:
You’ve told do not bring backpacks, doest it mean there is an other que at the entrance for thouse who doesn’t have any backpacks?
How did you went away from the festival each day to your hotel?
Are there any shops on site? If there are, what kind of?
Thanks a lot for help)))
Hey Katya!
So sorry for the delayed response, somehow this comment was lost in cyberspace and I have only just seen it!
Did you have a good time at Tomorrowland? I am so sorry that we didn’t answer your questions prior. If you still need them answered for next year, do let me know!
Hi there! Do people sell their Sunday ticket?
Looking to go Sunday brunch
I am not too familiar with how people sell their tickets but I imagine so. Just be careful about fake tickets!
Can you really get your country’s flag for free? This is the first time I’m hearing about it. I even tried to google it. Is this something new?
It is not for free, it is included in the Global Package. Without this package, you cannot get a flag given to you.
where do you pick up your free bag?
They give you your bag the day before the festival starts at the pre-party but only if you have the Global Package.
Dear Emily,
Greetings from Dubai!
My friend and I are planning to attend TL Week-End 1 this year. It is too late not to buy the tickets on the website obviously.
What person is selling 2 bracelets (3 days pass) that he is receiving next week. However, I am concerned now and after few research.. I am still confused with the TL FAQ and many websites.
Maybe you can help me? 🙂
Can I register my friend’s name and mine when the seller is receiving the bracelets?? The bracelets were bought by him and his friend (their names are reflecting on the official e-ticket) but he told me that it is during the registration which is the most important not before. I hopeyou can advise me on the above.
I can also send you their e-ticket for you to have a look.
We really wanna go and we were thinking perhaps to go there and try to get 2 passes at the festival directly.
Thank you 🙂
Hello, thanks for the information, I’m going this year with GJ package, I also planning an eurotrip and I wanna know if it worth it take the return plane, because for me it’s easy stay at Belgium and start my trip from ther…..but my question is, the return plane has some experience or something or its just a plane?
Thanks
Hey Renzo,
Sorry for the delay in our response, I did not see a lot of recent comments. We did not take the return flight back to Barcelona and it wasn’t an issue. We were prepared to lose out on that flight and guarantee ourselves a ticket than we were to gamble the 3-day ticket alone without the Global Package.
Hi there party people from all over the world. We like to inform you all about a new hotel that has opened in January at walking distance from Tomorrowland. For the 2017 edition there are still a few free rooms. So if you are coming to party and haven’t found a place to sleep yet don’t hesitate to contact us.
http://Www.theziva.be
This year the police is doing a security screening so people should be careful as they pay refund but not for the travel and accommodation. Moreover, I would suggest you to protect your data on wireless networks as it would be an opportunity for someone to access it. You can follow this guide on what you should care about while attending Tomorrowland festival. https://www.purevpn.com/blog/tomorrowland-festival/
Hello Emily from Lebanon.
im so jealous of your experience and willing to be in 2018 !! but my concern is what is the prices for global journey and what accommodations did u select ? is global journey after the per-register? is it a 100% guarantee taking global journey or might wait in line and not take it ?
one more thing hows the energy floating all over the place? (if you know what i mean).
Bassam
Hey Bassam,
So sorry for the delayed response, somehow this comment was lost in cyberspace and I have only just seen it!
Did you make it to Tomorrowland this year? We bought the silver package hotel and stayed at the Radisson Blu in the city centre. Nothing is 100% guaranteed but you will have a much better chance of getting the ticket if you do get the package. It was well worth the cost!
Apologizes again for the delayed response!
Hey Emily,
I am from India. I have some questions regarding dreamville instructions.
1. At what time does the festival starts?
2. Can I bring Dslr or just action camera? do I need their permission to take those inside the festival grounds?
3. How do they sent the global journey package tickets and bracelets? As I have seen some unboxing videos of tickets
4. Apart from all these if my GJ is from barcelona do i need seperate visa for that or only belgian VISA.
Sorry for so many questions.
Thank You.
Hello Anindit,
1) Around 12-1, but it depends if you’re staying at the campgrounds or not.
2) Check their website for the rules of what you can bring and can not.
3) Each year they create a unique package which they post out to you. And it’s quite elaborate!
4) Visa questions we can not advise on as it depends on a number of factors.
You’re welcome!
Hey there. Thank you for this amazing post. I’m currently torn between getting a hotel or camping in dreamville. What’s the weather like? Would it be worth it camping in the heat etc or hotel room would be a better choice. I’m a first time goer and would like to have the most authentic experience while being reasonably comfortable.
Thank you
Hey Jason,
Honestly, we loved having the hotel room for comfort but for convenience, Dreamville is awesome as you don’t have to take the hour bus ride back to Brussels City. In saying that, the bus ride is fun to get there, it’s full of energy! Another factor is security, with the tents, I am not sure how secure things are, we had our computers and a lot of valuables so we felt far safer in a hotel room 🙂 As for weather, it’s hard to tell, a lot of years it is raining, we were lucky with our weather but if its super wet then camping it’ll be miserable, but hey you can’t control the weather! Are you going alone?
Hope this helps!
Hey guys, thanks for such an informative post on Tomorrowland and your experience.
We’re looking at going in 2018 and tossing up between the Dreamville packages vs the global journey package w hotel. I know you guys did the hotel option and comfort and private bathrooms do sound amazing but the through of the hour long bus ride home is really putting us off the idea, hence looking at the glamping options in dreamville.
Was the bus ride back really that bad (from what we have heard). Is there a way to avoid this by organising our own transportation at an added cost and would that make it faster and if so was it still a 30min travel time?
How does it work with the included return airfares as we are most likely arriving in London from Melbourne and will make our way to Boom, however if we want to fly out to another city in Europe would they allow that or is it a return flight to the same city only? Do they actually make you book in your flights at the time of purchasing the global journey package or do you have time to work out your logistics and then book, not quite understanding how they work out the set pricing. Does the same apply for hotels as part of the package, that it is pre-determined for you or are you able to choose from options too.
Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions and sorry in advance for bombarding you! x
Hey Dina,
Thanks for your comment!
In answer to your questions:
– I didn’t mind the bus, to be honest, I mean it wasn’t “ideal” but it dropped you directly to your hotel and picked you up from your hotel. There is a set time that you need to go on the bus each morning which can be slightly challenging on day 3 to wake up ;). There’s a great atmosphere on the bus, they play music to get the party started on the way there and then everyone just sleeps on the way home. It took about an hour or just under and the walk from the festival to the bus is about 15 minutes but again you’re with herds of other people so it can be as fun or tedious as you like.
– You could organise a transfer yourself via taxi but it wouldn’t be cheap so for us it wasn’t worth it.
– If you stay in Antwerp it is closer, if you stay in Brussels it takes about an hour (what we did).
– Dreamville looked fun but I personally wouldn’t stay in the tents, I loved having a clean shower and clean private room to come back too.
– You have to book the flights when you buy the global journey/Dreamville package. They just give you the flights based on your selected city. I think there are a few to choose from based on how many days you’re going for. We bought our return flights from Barcelona but just didn’t take our flight back there as we were flying elsewhere. We just chose to lose that flight as we didn’t know our forward travel plans, if that makes sense?
– You can choose from options with the hotels, there are different levels and different pricing. The cheaper ones I think it is the bronze package, sells out the fastest.
I hope this answers some questions, if not, feel free to ask again!
Hello emily,
I want to ask you and make sure if i buy the global journey, will the flight from my country to brussels be included or i have to buy the flight too? The moment the sale starts is it found in the shop inside a flight from my country to brussels then a flight from brussels to tomorrowland? And i choose whatever hotel i want? Or in the global journey only the flight from brussels to tommorowland is included?
I hope u understand my question thank you.
Hey Jad,
Yes, it is but it depends on where you’re home country is if it is included in the package. Where will you be flying from?
You choose a package for hotels. There is bronze, silver, gold etc and the better the hotel the higher package and that is included in the whole package. If you choose Global Journey, they cover absolutely everything from flights to transport to the hotel and a lot more extras! It is definitely worth it.
Hi Emily and Jacob,
Thanks for sharing your post, it was super informative!!
My boyfriend and I didn’t want to take any chances, so we bought the Global Journey Hotel Package and thank God we did because the hotels sold out within minutes. We are super amped to be going to Tomorrowland 2018, we have countdowns on our phones already. But as I am reading through some of the comments here, I became slightly confused about flights.
With the Global Journey Hotel Package, do we book our own flights separately? We will be flying from Canada. Please advise!!
Thanks!
Fabz
Absolute long shot that I’ll get a reply to this! Roughly how big are the packages TML send you early July with your bracelets and stuff? I’m scared that it won’t fit in my letter box and Aus post won’t deliver it or someone will take it
Thanks in advance! Great article as well
Hey Jamie! Not a long shot, we always try and respond to every question! The package isn’t too big, if no one is home then they will take it to the post office and it will stay there for at least 5 days. There is plenty of time to collect it! Don’t worry 🙂 Have fun!!
Hi Emily,
Hope all is well.
Me and my girl friend have booked our GJ Hotel package for July 2018 and would like to know your comments on the below;
1) How much pearls that we shall load on our bracelets for 3 days to cover up food and drinks expense (on an average). This will help us to pre-load the pearls.
2) What will be the duration of shuttle bus services to and fro TL.
After TL, on Monday we are travelling to Barcelona for 5 days, do you have a separate page for insider tips for Barcelona.
Thank you and wishing you amazing travels in future.
Best regards,
Ben
Hey Ben!
How exciting! You are going to have so much fun. We absolutely loved it! In answer to your questions:
– Are you coming from Brussels? Is that where your hotel is? If so, it takes about an hour to get to the festival and home. It’s quite a walk from the festival to the bus’ too so we usually got back to our hotel at about 2:00 am or so. Long day, but so worth it!
– As for loading money onto your wristband. We started with $100 USD I believe. It was a while ago so I can’t remember the exact amount.
– Yes, we do have 2 different guides from Barcelona, you can find them below!
https://justglobetrotting.com/barcelona-spain/
https://justglobetrotting.com/summer-in-barcelona/
Let me know if you have any questions!
Hey Emily Cass. Thank you for this amazing post. My friend and I are planning to attend Tomorrowland Week-End Next year.