Tomorrowland, the largest electronic dance music festival in the world will be fined up to €2 million for committing an environmental offence, the Department of the Environment confirmed. It used disposable cups this summer, despite the legal obligation to use reusable ones.
The Flemish Environmental regulator confirmed to The Brussels Times that it identified an environmental offence at Tomorrowland in the municipality of Boom (Antwerp) on Saturday, the second day of the festival's first weekend. Its officers detected that the music festival was using up a stock of disposable cups, despite the law stating drinks may only be served at events in reusable cups. As a result, the organisers risk a fine of up to €2 million.
"The fine is not yet fixed as the festival is still ongoing [the second weekend will take place this week]," spokesperson Ann Heylens said.
Undefined fine
Since June 2023, large-scale events have been forced by law to serve drinks in reusable cups, or cans and PET bottles that are at least 95% recycled. Last year, many major festivals including Tomorrowland but also Rock Werchter and Graspop Metal Meeting still used disposable cups.
However, this year, Tomorrowland was the only large-scale festival to use these disposable cups, to get rid of its stock of 3 million. It only used reusable cups in some areas of the festival such as Dreamville (the official camping ground), the VIP area and the neighbourhood drink area, among others.
The second weekend of the festival – which attracts around 70,000 music lovers every day – is scheduled to take place at the end of this week. The Department of the Environment may again send officers to carry out an additional inspection. Only at the end of the entire festival can a police report be drawn up, which will then be handed over to the Public Prosecutor.
Festival-goers drinking out of disposable cups. Credit: Belga/ Jonas Roosens
The Public Prosecutor will then decide whether the offence will be dealt with criminally, or whether the case will return to the hands of the department. "The maximum fine for an environmental infringement as determined by the decree for this purpose is €2 million," said Heylens. "However, in practice, we look at the severity of the offence, the frequency in which it occurs and the circumstances to decide on the amount."
In addition to the administrative fine, an "asset deprivation" may also be requested, which will see the organisation repay the gross benefit obtained from the environmental offence. As this would come on top of the fine amount, it could see the total amount surpassing €2 million.
Reusable in 2025
Tomorrowland spokesperson Debby Wilmsen told VRT NWS that the organisation is expecting a fine and will pay it. The organisation had tried to ask for an exception to use up its disposable cups, which it was granted last year. It argued that there was an environmental gain to getting rid of its stock, adding that there is no room on the festival site for washing machines to effectively clean the cups.
However, the request was rejected in April, leaving the festival with too little time to change gears and get reusable cups and the necessary infrastructure to clean them. Outgoing Flemish Environment Minister Zuhal Demir (N-VA), who introduced the rules, argued that Tomorrowland was given plenty of time to explore the alternatives. "The fact that other big festivals can go reusable points in the same direction."
By next summer, Tomorrowland hopes to introduce reusable cups over the entire festival. It is also looking into more efficient deposit systems to ensure people don't take the cups home with them.
