Thursday storms and flooding in Itu forced Tomorrowland Brasil to halt on Friday, October 13th.
Tomorrowland Brasil will not go through with the second day of its 2023 edition on October 13. Heavy rain has turned Parque Maeda in Itu, Brazil into a mudpit, requiring organizers to take extra measures so that the event can operate as planned on the third and final day.
Tomorrowland Brasil foi um desastre hoje: lama, filas enormes para comprar bebida, certos pontos sem possibilidade de passar por mal planejamento. Só os palcos e música salvam o festival. #tomorrowland #TomorrowlandBrasil pic.twitter.com/mWd2h8RTpv
— tsarevich (@tsarevich9) October 13, 2023
“Due to the strong storms, rain and flooding during yesterday, Tomorrowland’s inner areas, parking lots and driveways are heavily damaged,” reads a statement shared to Tomorrowland Brasil’s social media pages. “In light of these events, we announce that the festival will not be held today, Friday, October 13.”
“We’re working hard to make sure we have the necessary conditions to welcome you safely,” the statement continues. “Tomorrow, Saturday, October 14, Tomorrowland Brasil will open its doors again.”
Attendees camping in the festival’s DreamVille campsite will be treated to an impromptu program at The Gathering Stage, per the statement. Organizers will also share refund information in the coming days.
Tomorrowland Brasil isn’t the first major gathering to be sidelined by inclement weather in 2023. An international media circus enveloped this year’s edition of Burning Man as unprecedented rainstorms befell the Black Rock Desert in Nevada. On the same day, monsoons forced Excision to postpone his Basstrack event at the Phoenix Raceway in Arizona.
The last time a Tomorrowland event faced challenges of this magnitude due to weather was in 2015. TomorrowWorld, which was organized outside Atlanta in partnership with SFX Entertainment (which has since rebranded as LiveStyle), restricted shuttle access that Saturday due to heavy rainstorms. Attendees who hadn’t camped onsite were forced to walk several miles in order to hitchhike or use rideshare to get back to their hotels.
While Tomorrowland Brasil’s organizers intend to reopen the festival on Saturday, October 14, it remains to be seen whether they will be able to restore the site by then. This developing story will be updated as new information is made available.