Embracing festival culture to be the spirits brand of today – and tomorrow
Absolut has been collaborating with Tomorrowland electronic music dance festival for the past seven years – it’s an initiative that began in Belgium but has now expanded to Brazil and beyond.
Held just outside of Antwerp in Belgium, Tomorrowland is one of the largest and most iconic music festivals in the world. Catering to all genres of electronic dance music, the Belgium festival attracts 450,000 people from over 200 countries over two weekends; tickets sell out within minutes of going on sale year after year.
Twenty years on from its first event in 2005, Tomorrowland now has events spanning from its marquee festival in Belgium to France to Brazil, and to the Middle East for desert festival experiences and more. It has morphed into a global movement, with people from all over the world coming together – creating a cosmopolitan and inclusive experience. This ethos is encapsulated perfectly by one festivalgoer, who said: “What I love most about Tomorrowland is the diversity of people from all over the world – it feels like one big global celebration.”
Absolut first partnered with Tomorrowland Belgium on a local level in 2017 – and it is easy to see why it made cultural sense. After all, Absolut is a brand with a deep-rooted and long-standing association with diversity and inclusion. It is an association that continues to manifest itself today through its Born to Mix campaign – a campaign that reinforces and builds on our passion for progressing societal change – to make a positive impact by creating connections beyond differences.
What I love most about Tomorrowland is the diversity of people from all over the world – it feels like one big global celebration
A festival goer from Tomorrowland festival in Belgium.
Walking the talk
As we head into 2025, our involvement has evolved from our first Tomorrowland festival in the summer of 2017. “Our collaboration is more than sponsorship and selling a product. It is about being part of contemporary culture,” says Annika Skohg, Global Senior Brand Manager, Experiences. “Tomorrowland is the perfect playing field for our Born to Mix philosophy. It is a powerful channel to engage with consumers by having a direct dialogue with them and getting an immediate response. It allows us to walk the talk.”
In 2021, Absolut established United We Dance; a co-created platform that brings the values it shares with Tomorrowland to life. It is front and centre of a shared mission to create a more diverse and inclusive tomorrow through the universal language of music. We came to realise too that not only did we have an opportunity, but a responsibility to start taking on certain D&I issues to drive tangible change.
For example, in 2022, we implemented a reverse line-up campaign where we spotlighted six underrepresented artists through creative videos across social, press and other channels – providing them with a global platform. We then wanted to go further by making a long-term commitment to the industry and created a D&I committee – with a mission to inspire the industry and the world to create a more equal, diverse tomorrow.
Debbie Wilmsen, spokesperson for Tomorrowland, says: “Tomorrowland brings together people from all corners of the world – cultures, languages, and backgrounds intertwine. Everyone should feel welcome, regardless of origin or gender. Each time, we create initiatives together with Absolut and the D&I committee to bring people closer, encouraging open-mindedness and hoping that this mindset continues to thrive far beyond the festival gates.”
Making a tangible difference
In 2023, the committee chose a theme of tackling festival safety with a dedicated care team on-site, trained by organisations including Stonewall, Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ rights organisation to complement first aid and security teams. This team were able to help 162 people during the Belgium festival’s two weekends including situations of sexual harassment, anxiety, inclusivity and more. Such was the response that safety is now embedded in Tomorrowland’s protocols as an organisation.
In 2024, struck by the declaration made by the World Health Organisation that loneliness is a critical global health threat, the committee chose the theme of loneliness. There were several initiatives at the festival including cultural exchange speed dating and a six-episode podcast series dedicated to challenges of self-expression and loneliness.
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
One 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.
He said: “Gen Z are the lonely generation. We wanted to change that feeling and provide a sense of belonging. By curating immersive festival experiences, we’re creating a sanctuary for human connection and addressing the growing problem of loneliness.”
The response to our activations was again impressive, with our social content reaching 3.2m people and engaging with 196,000. Tomorrowland also published the podcasts on its YouTube channel which attracts 11 million viewers.
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.”
Some of the feedback included: “After years of waiting and asking others to join I just decided that I would take that plunge and live the dream even if it meant going solo. But with this community, no one is solo anymore”. Another festivalgoer said: “This will be the first time I am travelling alone to another country, and I am so grateful for this opportunity and for you making this dream come true”.
From a local to a global collaboration
Absolut’s involvement with Tomorrowland is no longer confined to two weekends a year in Belgium. It is now an evolving global initiative coinciding with a thriving music festival scene. The recovery of festivals after the pandemic has been nothing short of remarkable. The eagerness to get back to live events has resulted in huge increases in audiences. Year after year, the big festivals are just getting bigger.
But that is not all. Festivals have also capitalised on their pandemic experiences of livestreaming (in the absence of in-person gatherings). They are increasingly integrating digital elements into what are traditionally very tangible experiences, creating new opportunities and reaching even more consumers. Indeed, while Tomorrowland Belgium has 450,000 visitors each year, it has a global digital community of 875 million, offering Absolut a unique opportunity to drive positive change by leveraging the partnership.
Absolut has now added four Tomorrowland events across the world to the original initiative, with each activation being adapted to take onboard regulatory, regional and consumer needs.
At Tomorrowland Winter in Alpe d’Huez, our priority is to elevate the consumer’s cocktail experience on-site, ensuring they enjoy something truly unique. For TML Brazil, we’ve crafted a holistic ‘360 plan’ that prioritises the consumer journey across multiple touchpoints, including a large-scale on-site activation packed with added value. Additionally, we engage with local artists to amplify our D&I message both before and after the festival,” says Annika. “For Core Columbia this year, our focus was on providing a memorable on-site activation that offers tangible benefits for consumers. At Terra Solis in Dubai, we’re committed to enhancing the cocktail experience year-round, with monthly events designed to engage consumers through ticket competitions and other exciting initiatives that scale their overall experience.”
The impact of the additional events has been immediate. Absolut was the number one spirit sold at the key Belgium, Brazil and Columbia festivals and was frequently voted among the most recognised activations on site. Consumers are aware of our affiliation with the festival and research shows that those that are, are more likely to spend with us in the future.
It’s only going to get bigger and bigger
Tomorrowland complements Absolut’s collaborations with other festivals such as Coachella, where it is the official vodka of the Californian music festival and its ongoing partnership with Boiler Room. The template has been set and 2025 is set to be another busy year of activations as we look to cement and expand our footprints at Tomorrowland across the world.
“We’ve been on the journey for seven years now, which started as a local sponsorship by Pernod Ricard Belgium, but now we are a global partner but this is no ordinary festival partnership,” says Annika. “We are not just collaborators – we’re trusted colleagues and close friends with shared values. This mutual trust and shared values, which have brought us this far will continue to drive us forward. We can’t wait for what’s next – and 2025 is set to be a big year where we will bring this collaboration to even a higher level.”
