Boom (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – During Tomorrowland in Boom, flying drones is strictly banned due to safety and airport proximity. Tom Hubert was fined €2,000 and had his drone seized for violating the rule.
As VRT News reported, during the Tomorrowland dance festival in Boom, in the province of Antwerp, Belgium, flying drones is strictly forbidden to ensure the safety and privacy of festival attendees. This rule is enforced by local police and aviation authorities.
According to officials, the festival is close to an airport, and many people attend, so drones could be dangerous for planes and people. The police and festival organisers don’t allow drones at all. They tell people about the ban on the Tomorrowland website, the Skeydrone website, and social media. Skeydrone says that flying a drone where it’s not allowed can cost up to €8,000. Last year, the police took away 11 drones because people broke the rules.
What made Tom Hubert’s drone flight at Tomorrowland illegal?
Tom Hubert, a drone enthusiast from Reet, learned this firsthand. He had bought a lightweight drone in April 2023, which didn’t require special training under European law. He mostly used it while travelling in Spain and Austria.
On the first day of Tomorrowland, Hubert launched his drone from his backyard, flying it over DreamVille, the festival’s campsite. Within moments, police arrived at his home. Hubert described the experience as intimidating, with additional police units quickly appearing. His drone was immediately taken away.
After the incident with the drone, a fine of €2,000 was imposed upon Tom Hubert. He appealed and did not get his drone back for a long time. He just finished paying the fine and received his drone back this week, almost 2 years after the event.
Hubert was sad because he didn’t really understand the rules surrounding flying drones at events such as Tomorrowland. The authorities made it pretty clear that no one is exempt from the rules, regardless of the size of the drone, and ignorance is never an excuse.
“The police were immediately at my door, and I felt very intimidated.”
Tom Hubert
Tom Hubert found out about the drone rules at Tomorrowland. He flew his small drone on the first day, not knowing it was a no-fly zone. Tom hadn’t taken any drone lessons and didn’t know about the rules near airports and festivals. He got in trouble and thinks the punishment was too strict for a first mistake.
He says a warning would have been enough since he didn’t mean to cause any problems. But the police say safety is most important, and because the rules were clearly stated, not knowing them wasn’t an excuse.
