Tomorrowland Around the World 2020: A Virtual Pilgrimage

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Amy King

Charleston Southern University, Charleston, South Carolina, USA (Correspondence: alking@csuniv.edu)

Citation: King, A. (2021). Tomorrowland around the world 2020: A virtual pilgrimage. Journal of Communication Technology, 4(3), 80-103. https://doi.org/10.51548/joctec-2021-018

Abstract: The year 2020 was devastating to electronic music festivals and their attendees as the COVID-19 pandemic forced most festivals to cancel their events. Because attendance at these festivals is a sacred experience for many of their participants, this manifested as a loss for participants. Tomorrowland, however, created a virtual festival through filming DJ performances and working with visual effects teams. Tomorrowland Around the World functioned to constitute a global public. This paper will situate the electronic music scene in a spiritual context that promotes the well-being of its participants. Next, the paper will explain how the DJ performances worked with the visual production teams to create a sacred virtual space that promoted unity, love, life, and a general sense of well- being.

Keywords: electronic music, music festival, communication technology, numinous, publics