Thai–Belgian venture to stage Tomorrowland in Pattaya in December 2026

Narit Therdsteerasukdi, secretary-general of the Board of Investment (BOI), said the agency has approved investment promotion for WeAreOne.World (Thailand) Co., Ltd., a Thai–Belgian joint venture in the business of organising international music, sports and festival events.

He said the project will bring a global-scale electronic dance music (EDM) festival to Thailand for the first time under the banner “Tomorrowland Thailand”.

The inaugural event is scheduled for December 2026 at Wisdom Valley, Chonburi province, and will run for three days.

According to the BOI, Tomorrowland Thailand at Wisdom Valley Pattaya will be able to accommodate up to 50,000 attendees per day.

More than 60% of visitors are expected to come from overseas, and the festival is projected to generate a total economic impact of at least THB21 billion over five years of operations.

The venture is a partnership between TL International of Belgium, an affiliate of Tomorrowland Group, the rights holder of the Tomorrowland festival with more than 20 years of experience organising EDM festivals in multiple countries, and One Asia Ventures of Thailand, which has organised internationally recognised EDM events including the Siam Songkran Music Festival, as well as other international festivals, for more than 10 years.

The collaboration aims to stage “Tomorrowland Thailand” to attract visitors from around the world, stimulate the economy, and strengthen Thailand’s tourism brand.

The BOI said Thailand is the first country in Asia to be selected to host the global festival.

Alongside the festival, the partners also plan to launch the “Tomorrowland Academy” to transfer know-how and international event-management standards to Thai professionals, helping to upgrade local capabilities and strengthen Thailand’s tourism and festival-services sector.

Narit said the BOI has promoted the business category of organising international music, sports and festival events since 2024, as part of efforts to position Thailand as a destination for world-class events and a regional tourism hub.

He said the BOI has moved to remove obstacles to staging large events, including issues related to visas and work permits for foreign artists and crews, and tax burdens on performance equipment that may be temporarily imported for an event and then re-exported.

The aim is to make it easier for global organisers to bring major concerts, sporting events and international festivals to Thailand.

He added that such events can attract high-spending international visitors, particularly younger target groups, while creating income for related businesses, including hotels, restaurants, local products and service providers.

They can also create new experiences for Thai audiences and raise skills in Thailand’s event industry.

Under BOI criteria, projects applying for promotion in the “international music, sports and festival event” category must be large-scale, with investment or event expenditure of at least THB100 million per event.

Eligible projects receive import-duty exemptions for machinery and equipment used for the event, as well as facilitation for visas and work permits for foreign artists and personnel through the BOI’s One Stop Service centre, operated in collaboration with immigration authorities and the Ministry of Labour at One Bangkok.