Absolut x Tomorrowland: A trusted partnership driving social change
Absolut has been collaborating with Tomorrowland, the music and dance festival, for the past eight years and most recently addressed the growing problem of loneliness at the iconic festival in Belgium.
Absolut has been collaborating with the Tomorrowland festival since 2017 – it’s a partnership founded on a shared goal of creating a more diverse and inclusive future through the universal language of music. Held just outside of Antwerp in Belgium, Tomorrowland attracts 450,000 people from over 200 countries over two weekends, with tickets selling out within minutes each year.
What began as a minor partnership has morphed into a global initiative, with Absolut x Tomorrowland activations now taking place each year in France, Columbia, Brazil and Dubai as well as Belgium. At the heart of the partnership is an ambition to drive meaningful change, make a tangible impact and enhance the festival experience through the partnership’s Diversity & Inclusivity Committee.
Annika Skohg, Global Marketing Manager, Experiences & Partnerships, adds: “Our collaboration with Tomorrowland has evolved. It is no ordinary festival partnership – the mutual trust and shared values have brought us a long way and they will continue to drive us forward.”
The committee consists of representatives from Absolut, Tomorrowland, as well as individuals from government and the arts. Its mission is to inspire the industry and the world to create a more equal and diverse tomorrow – and each year drives awareness on a highly-charged topic relevant to festivalgoers.
Wow! This podcast is so powerful. It’s very powerful to hear big DJs like Armin express their personal struggles and how they go through them. Makes me feel less alone.
A festival goer at this year’s Tomorrowland’s Belgium festival
In 2023, for example, the committee chose a theme of festival safety and introduced a dedicated care team on-site, trained by organisations including Stonewall, Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ rights organisation to complement the festival’s first aid and security teams. This team were able to help more than 150 people during the Belgium festival’s two weekends including situations of sexual harassment, anxiety, inclusivity and more. Such was its success that safety is now embedded in Tomorrowland’s protocols as an organisation.
In 2024, the committee chose to address loneliness. Loneliness among young adults has increased significantly in recent years, driven in part by the isolating effects of social media and the continued ramifications of the pandemic. Declared a “pressing health threat” by the World Health Organisation, the UN agency has implemented a commission to address the problem, warning that people (of all ages) who are lonely or feel isolated are 30 per cent more likely to die early1.
The meticulously designed initiative offered both onsite and online activities to reach an audience beyond the festival. Activations on-site focused on creating a sanctuary for human connection, with the main hub of activity, The Community Booth, set within the festival’s camping area, providing a space for festivalgoers to connect. There were live podcasts hosted by Tomorrowland artists focusing on mental health and daily ‘speed networking’ events to help facilitate connections.
One podcast episode featured global DJ Sunnery James, a member of the D&I committee, who highlighted how it can be very lonely performing on stage and revealed that some artists belong to a WhatsApp group to share their experiences. “Gen Z is the lonely generation,” says DJ Sunnery James. “We wanted to change that feeling and provide a sense of belonging. By curating immersive festival experiences, we created a sanctuary for human connection and addressed the growing problem of loneliness.”
The festival’s free newspaper, Tomorrowland Today, carried a daily column by Sunnery together with guest articles by artists performing at the electronic dance extravaganza discussing similar topics. Attendees were also encouraged to show their support with free badges to promote an environment of acceptance and self-expression.
The theme of loneliness and human connection really resonated with festivalgoers and the artists.
Annika Skohg
The activities proved a great success, with social content for the loneliness initiative reaching 3.2m people and engaging 196,000. Tomorrowland also published the podcasts on its YouTube channel, which attracted 11 million viewers. In light of the positive response and the continued relevance of loneliness, the D&I Committee reprised the theme for the 2025 festival in Belgium.
Annika adds: “The theme of loneliness and human connection really resonated with festivalgoers and the artists. We added more podcasts than we had planned because of the positivity around them. Consumers’ testimonials before, during and after the festival confirmed the action drove genuine positive change for many. We also saw an appreciation for our brand in thank you messages and comments on social channels.”
1 World Health Organisation | Source for 2 in 3 young people
