Tomorrowland 2011

No words can describe it, really.

Think of one thing that brings you ultimate joy/euphoria and multiply it by 100. That’s how I felt walking out on the first night, and that was without the help of drugs, I didn’t need it.

As the Swedish House Mafia and their music blurred into the night, accompanied by a fabulous array of lights and fireworks, all of life’s problems were shook off. No worrying about your problems back home, no concern for any arguments you may have had with family/friends, not even the monotony of day to day life and its troubles could touch you.

It was heaven, pure unadulterated joy that only such things in life could bring. Think of the ecstasy that your football team brings you when they win a trophy or a big match. Think of the first time you had sex and that feeling you get off a girl you can’t take your eyes off. All of that rolled into one.

Not even the late night Belgian chill could dampen your enthusiasm. I was too busy having the time of my life to care. Whatever tomorrow may bring can wait until the morning. For at this moment in time, I was carefree with no burdens or responsibility and whatever came my way I was ready to face it head on.

The kind of music on offer at Tomorrowland is a funny thing. It gives you a vibe which other genres seem to lack. From techno beats to rhythmic house, with a bit of trance thrown in for good measure, they give you a feeling which is like no other.

Day two wasn’t bad either. Avicii’s set was eye-catching with popular tracks such as ‘Levels’ ‘My feelings for you’ and ‘Seek Bromance’ alongside remixes such as Armin van Buuren’s ‘Drowning’ to the delight of the crowd. Meanwhile, Hardwell in the Versuz tent brought his own sound and raw energy with ‘Encoded’ being one of the main highlights of his set.

The night was topped off by Tiesto on the main stage which was an experience in itself. It may have been raining but that didn’t matter. The sounds of ‘Adagio for Strings’ and ‘Silence’ more than made up for that and the large crowd at the mystical main stage seemed to agree.

So to the final day of a weekend I didn’t want to end. Instead of ending on a damp squib the party went on with Laidback Luke setting the tone for the night ahead. In a set which included ‘What happens in Vegas’, Chuckie perfectly set the tone before David Guetta appeared.

Although he may be loved by some and hated by others, the French house and electro artist always puts on a spectacular show and at Tomorrowland it was no different.

On a personal note the festival ended in the Versuz tent and in the company of Steve Angello. Despite having already seen him as part of the Swedish House Mafia the opportunity to see him perform solo was one not to be missed, and he certainly didn’t disappoint.

As the party ended and it was time to leave, there was a tinge of sadness for leaving behind a weekend I’ll never forget. In what was a trip into the unknown I enjoyed every minute of the ride and cannot wait to return in the future. Yesterday is history, today is a gift, tomorrow is mystery.