A man who has spent nearly £3,000 to get to his ‘dream trip’ to Tomorrowland festival said he is worried attendees aren’t safe.
Pedro, 30, from California, said it was his first opportunity to be able to attend the ice-themed festival in Boom, Belgium, where David Guetta was set to headline this weekend.
But a fire, which is believed to have started form a fireworks test, has torn through the main stage, leaving it in ashes.
Organisers have reassured the 400,000 ticket holders that the event will still go ahead, but those who have spent thousands to get there have been left with a sour feeling.
Pedro, who spent £1,000 for the global journey hotel package and another £1,0000 for flights, said he is concerned for his health due to the destruction the fire left behind.
He told Metro: ‘It’s been my dream for over 10 years to attend Tomorrowland and this year was finally my first opportunity.
‘Now, I have to decide between my desires and my concerns because I do not have confidence that the festival organizers are prioritizing my health and safety.
‘Fires create a lot of air pollution. Urban fires are particularly nasty because the composition of the pollution can contain carcinogenic metals from burnt building materials and electronics.
‘This pollution eventually settles and is deposited on the ground. I’m concerned about people’s exposures to not only airborne pollution but also direct contact with soot/ash that may be laden with carcinogens.’
Festival organisers said that nobody was injured and the DreamVille campsite will open as planned on Thursday.
But Pedro, who works in wildfire remediation, said he think festival organisers have been ‘purposely vague’ to make sure people still come even if ‘they do not have a contingency plan for this kind of disaster’.
He said: ‘I’m worried about everything. I’m worried that the messaging and communication around the event has been purposely vague, leaving all the attendees questioning if they should be boarding planes/trains to the festival.
‘I’m worried that they are making decisions based on finances rather than public safety.’
Tomorrowland has been contacted for comment.
Festival spokeswoman Debby Wilmsen said previously: ‘Now we’re going to figure out how to organise a safe and enjoyable festival.
‘It hurts a lot. I’m definitely not going to watch those images [of the fire]. This is years of work, and the work of many people. So much work went into it from the initial design to the practical implementation. Truly awful.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
