Despite the sweltering heat and a lukewarm opening ceremony, festival-goers still revelled at the Tomorrowland festival on Friday.
Thousands were dancing to the electronic music, undeterred by the soaring temperatures.
As the opening ceremony barely kicked off, many festival-goers gravitated towards other stages, or sought respite in the shade or near lakes.
Friday’s tropical climate did not deter some festival-goers from showcasing their most extravagant outfits.
The opening ceremony on the main stage was marked by a large Israeli flag. The aimed message was fraternity, but the situation is tense over the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The Palestinian flag is, in principle, not permitted, since Palestine is not recognised as a state by the UN.
Almost all state flags in the world were, nonetheless, represented at the festival, where people from some two hundred nationalities have come to party.
Later in the evening, the main stage was set to dazzle onlookers.
Featuring over 2,000 lights and LED fixtures, 43 fountains and four waterfalls, the 36-metre tall and 160-metre wide stage was impossible to miss with 1,600 square metres of video screens and 230 loudspeakers.
