DreamVille: my first camping weekend at Tomorrowland
A year after my first Day Pass, the full weekend: three friends, one tent and an entire town built for the festival. What I lived at DreamVille in 2017, and what I would pack today.
In 2016 I had discovered Tomorrowland for a single day (I tell it in my first Tomorrowland). In 2017 we stepped it up: the whole weekend, camping at DreamVille, with my best friend, the same one as the year before, and my cousin. It was our first time camping at the festival, and honestly, what a dream to see it.
The shock on arrival: a whole town
The first shock is the size. So many people, and such a huge campsite. DreamVille is not a field with tents: it really is a town built for the festival, in the Tomorrowland spirit, with its streets, districts and decor. We pitched our own tent (we have always brought our own, I have never tried the ready-made accommodation), and we were fairly well placed. Others were much less so.
To give you an idea: from our tent to The Gathering, the campsite stage, it was a good ten minutes' walk, then another five to seven. Between 15 and 20 minutes on foot, and we were not the furthest away. At DreamVille you walk a lot, even before you get into the festival.
Life at the campsite
The Gathering, the campsite stage
The campsite stage was really good. Not as big or as wild as today's, but already a proper party spot, and it is where everything starts on Thursday night, before the festival even opens.
Showers
Spotless. Back then, if I remember right, they were paid. Today DreamVille has free, unheated outdoor showers, plus heated private cubicles that you pay for.
Food and the supermarket
The festival food is incredible. At DreamVille it is good, less refined and with less choice, but you really get by. Above all, there is the campsite supermarket: in 2017 it was a Spar. We bought what we needed for a barbecue, vegetables, our water. No soft drinks or alcohol on the shelves though, and I fully understand why. The brand has changed over the years: in 2026 Lidl opened DreamVille's pop-up supermarket.
My best moment: the Q-dance stage in the sun
We were wandering around the site on Saturday with no real plan, and stumbled onto Q-dance's hardstyle stage. All three of us went "Wow!". Bright sunshine, people dancing everywhere, and us in the middle, fully into our music. I could not tell you who was playing, but I remember that moment perfectly. That is Tomorrowland too: the stage you had not planned becomes the best memory of the weekend.
If hardstyle is your thing, the genre's big gathering is Defqon.1, run by Q-dance in the Netherlands.
What I forgot (and what I pack now)
On a first camping trip you learn as you go. What I was missing in 2017:
- A poncho. Even when the forecast says sunshine over Boom.
- Good earplugs for sleeping. The campsite never really sleeps. I did not have proper ones back then; today I never leave without them. Our earplugs guide helps you choose.
- A pillow. A real one, not a rolled-up jumper. Three nights in a row, it makes all the difference.
For everything else (tent, torch, power bank, first-aid kit), our festival packing list covers all things camping.
Coming by car: pick the right car park
We drove, as in 2016, but we had learned from our mistakes: this time we parked much closer, at a different car park. When you camp, do not take the Day Pass car park: book an official DreamVille car park with your stay. Their location can change from one edition to the next, so check it in the official app and website before you set off. Without a car, there is also the train to Boom, then a shuttle.
My tips for a first DreamVille
- Arrive in time for The Gathering. Thursday night is the festival before the festival, and it is for campers only.
- Factor in the distances. Up to 20 minutes on foot from your tent to the campsite stage, then the walk to the festival: good shoes, and breaks.
- Shop at the campsite supermarket. Water, barbecue food, vegetables: simple, and easier on the budget. Alcohol and soft drinks are not sold there.
- Actually sleep. Earplugs, a pillow, maybe an eye mask: a three-day weekend is won at night too.
- Go off the beaten track. The best moment of my weekend was unplanned. Wander about, walk into a random stage.
Since 2017 I have been back to DreamVille almost every year, always with my own tent. In 2025 I was even there when the main stage burned down, two days before opening: I tell those hours of uncertainty in the Tomorrowland 2025 fire, seen from the campsite. Dates and tickets for the next edition are on the Tomorrowland page.
Frequently asked questions
What is DreamVille at Tomorrowland?
It is Tomorrowland's official campsite, next to the festival site in Boom. You can pitch your own tent or choose ready-made accommodation. It opens the day before the festival with The Gathering, the Thursday party for campers only.
Do you pay for showers at DreamVille?
Today there are free, unheated outdoor showers and paid, heated private cubicles. That was not always the case in earlier editions: check the year's offer on the official website.
Can you buy food at DreamVille?
Yes. There are food stalls and a supermarket on the campsite, with water, vegetables and barbecue food. Alcohol and soft drinks are not sold there. In 2026 the supermarket was run by Lidl.
Where do you park when camping at Tomorrowland?
At an official DreamVille car park, booked with your stay, rather than one meant for Day Pass holders. Their location can change from year to year: check it in the official app.
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