On Thursday during the epic ADE week. we were at the Ziggo Dome for a very special event. For the first time Tomorrowland hosted an event during ADE called OUR STORY – 15 years Tomorrowland. We obviously have high expectations of this new Tomorrowland concept, the biggest names in dance music like Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Armin van Buuren and Tiësto combined with the legendary Metropole Orchestra.
Thousands of Tomorrowland fans gathered at the Ziggo Dome hours before the start of the actual show. We already get a glimpse of how to show is going to be like. A new chapter is going to be written because the famous books are part of the stage again. On the ceiling there are boxes with led screens and CO2 guns. We’re wondering if this event in the Ziggo Dome could match the quality the actual Tomorrowland outdoor festival, which takes place in Belgium during Summer. Well, it was about time to find out!
After the pre-show the members of the Metropole Orchestra arrive on stage. For a moment the whole Ziggo Dome is totally silent before the orchestra starts to play. We heard the intro, which is typically for the festival, dancers on flexible poles floats over the audience and the orchestra plays there first notes. You can imagine with an orchestra consisting of 1 conductor, 53 musicians and 20 vocalists we get goosebumps the moment they play their first song For an angel by Paul van Dyk. On the big LED screen behind the orchestra you can see stills from the past Tomorrowland editions. The third song Opus is by this orchestra just as good as the original version by Eric Prydz, goosebumps again by that long buildup. When the song drops Tomorrowland gives us the full show with fireworks, lights and lots of CO2.
A Tomorrowland event is not complete with the voice of the Tomorrowland mainstage MC Stretch. To him the honor to announce the first artist to play together with the Metropole Orchestra, DJ Push.
Together they perform his famous song Universal Nation. After this performance by DJ Push there is little break, the orchestra is quiet and everybody is waiting what’s up next.
Another intro and the orchestra plays once again. At this show built three elevators were built into the stage to bring artists & live acts on & off stage. It was amazing to see Goose rise up out of the floor. They get to play only one song and before we know they’re already gone.
The next artist can be considered the first headliner of the night, Belgium artist Netsky! The 1st track he plays Here with you, suits the orchestra perfectly. For his next tune Rio, Brazilian dancers and drums appear on stage and bring those Brazilian vibes to the Ziggo Dome. When Afrojack and MC Ambush arrive on stage the audience is ready to dance. The whole Ziggo Dome sings and dance when he plays his first song Hey. But the Ziggo Dome goes crazy when we he starts Turn up the speakers. Before we know it Steve Aoki is already behind the decks. Still the crowd goes crazy when he and the Metropole Orchestra plays Melody and Pursuit of Happiness.
The live acts sounded until now even better with the Metropole orchestra then the ‘normal’ dj’s, so we’re really excited about Bloody Bootroots. The three masked men are on stage and this version of Warp 1.9 literally blows us away. When the song drops the Ziggo Dome stays dark with a little light and lots of CO2, even some musicians dance behind their instruments.
Armin van Buuren has some special surprises planned for us. For the second song Susana appears on stage to perform an amazing version of Shivers together, her voice gives us shivers in a positive way. Before his last song he takes us back to that special moment at Tomorrowland 2013 when his son was born a few hours before his Tomorrowland performance. For This is what feels like he brings Trevor Guthrie on stage and they end his set together with a bang! The goosebumps are back when the Metropole Orchestra plays Wake me Up as an Avicii memorial. After this short memorial we hear Adagio for Strings through the speakers of the Ziggo Dome so we know it’s time for Tiësto. When the crowds hear Flight643 and Lethal Industry every person jumps and dances and fire blasts in front of the dj booth, that’s to expect from a Tomorrowland event, hoever he plays more than just classics, like recent hits such as Secrets, Ritual & The Only way is up. A highlight of his set is when the Metropole Orchestra cover his track Silence.
It’s already time for the last act of the night, and the perfect closing of this evening are Tomorrowland residents Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike. They start their set with our favorite Tomorrowland anthem Ocarina. A few minutes later the whole Ziggo Dome is doing the Hum together with this Belgium duo. When they play their collab with Vini Vici The house of house the Ziggo Dome is filled with lights, lasers and lots of fire. The crowd follows this duo with everything they say, when they want a sit down everybody does a sit down, when they want everybody to go front and back the whole crowd moves to the front and back. For one last time the dancers float over the crowd when we hear Mammoth through the speakers. They end their set and this event with a surprising choice, Take on me. The Ziggo Dome goes crazy for one last time before we’ll head home.
We had a great evening in the Ziggo Dome. The show was what we could expect from a Tomorrowland event with all the lasers CO2 and dancers. We liked the variety in the line-up with the biggest names in dance music and the live acts like the Bloody Beetroots. The Metropole Orchestra played amazing this evening. Hopefully we can write a new chapter this summer!