TomorrowLand’s offspring brings EDM to Georgia

For the better part of its short-lived existence, electronica has been claimed by European DJs and has received a negative stereotype from those that deem the genre mindless and unmusical. But for those of you who live for the womp-womp-womp found in much of today’s electronic dance music (EDM), know that the genre originated stateside, with cities such as Detroit and Chicago taking credit for the beginning of the movement.

Now, after years of neglect, EDM is making a strong comeback here in its original home, prompting the world’s largest EDM music festival to bring the party back where it belongs from Sept. 27 to 29. America, welcome to TomorrowWorld.

For those of you who think Bonnaroo is the epitome of music festivals, think again.

TomorrowLand, TomorrowWorld’s father festival, first set crowds in motion in 2005, using the world’s top DJs to draw hundreds of thousands to Boom, Belgium, where the festival has traditionally been held.

Just how popular is TomorrowLand? According to press materials, this year’s festival sold 180,000 tickets in “just one second.” With last year’s three-day-long festival featuring 400 DJs — including artists such as Avicii, Swedish House Mafia, Afrojack and Steve Aoki — it isn’t surprising that EDM fans flock to the event.

While the ticket sales and loaded lineup may impress some, the minds behind TomorrowLand have recognized a new opportunity for success overseas, and have decided to let Americans skip the expensive airfare and travel time required of EDM fans wishing to attend TomorrowLand and join in on the fun at a cheaper cost.

They’re calling it TomorrowWorld, and the name couldn’t be more accurate. But make no mistake — just because the festival’s new branch will shake speakers in Chattahoochee Hills, Ga., located less than an hour from Atlanta, it is by no means a solely American festival.

Thanks to its new location, TomorrowWorld will be just as international as TomorrowLand, which will bring EDM lovers from 214 countries to this year’s festival. The new location makes it easier for those from North America, as well as South America, to enjoy the traditionally European festival.

So what does this mean for the future of EDM? If you’re one of those people that hates how electronic-infused sound has seeped into every genre from hip-hop to pop, you’d better get used to it. With the introduction of TomorrowWorld, ID&T — the entertainment and media enterprise behind the festival — has capitalized on a growing market. This should ensure that the genre continues to grow both in the U.S. and overseas, as demand for new tracks and DJs with crazy hair (think Skrillex) grows.

“We see it as a big, fantastic and very unique opportunity,” the festival’s founding fathers, brothers Manu and Michiel Beers, said in a statement. “It will be an enormous challenge and a big step for our young, creative and vibrant team.”

As if the three-day-long festival wasn’t creative enough, the Beers brothers have announced that TomorrowWorld will also include “Dreamville,” an area where festival attendees can camp out overnight. If the name is any indication, this won’t be your typical parents’ camping trip.

Though the lineup for TomorrowWorld won’t be made available until later this month, Michiel Beers has said the festival will offer many of the same artists who will perform at TomorrowLand this year.

According to Whiztix.com, tickets for TomorrowWorld go on sale April 24 at 11 a.m.