Successful drone detection at Tomorrowland 2024 Festival

Tomorrowland, one of the world’s premier music festivals, marked its 20th edition in Boom, Belgium, over the last two weekends of July. The festival attracted 400,000 attendees from over 200 countries, making safety a top priority for all involved.

To enhance security, a temporary GeoZone was established around the festival site, requiring drone operators to obtain flight authorisation. Only drones operated by the police and festival organisers were permitted within this zone, and possession of drone equipment was prohibited nearby.

The Police District of Rupel, responsible for Tomorrowland’s security, partnered with SkeyDrone to monitor air traffic. SkeyDrone installed a drone detection antenna next to the festival terrain, enabling real-time monitoring and enforcement of GeoZone rules.

Over the two weekends, more than 1,000 drone flights were detected, primarily by authorised drones from the organisation and police. However, some unauthorised drones violated the maximum height of 400 feet and the distance limit of 500 metres between pilot and drone. The highest drone was recorded at 1642 feet and the farthest distance at 1813 metres. As a result, the police confiscated 11 drones, and several violations were reported to the Belgian Civil Aviation Authority.

Peter Muyshondt, Chief of Police for the Police District of Rupel, emphasised the importance of addressing any infractions to ensure the safety of everyone at Tomorrowland. Hendrik-Jan Van Der Gucht, Managing Director of SkeyDrone, expressed pride in assisting the police and highlighted the effectiveness of their drone detection solution, which has contributed significantly to law enforcement tasks and product improvement.