Belgian authorities said on Saturday they had opened an investigation into the death of a Canadian woman who fell ill and died at the Tomorrowland electronic music festival in the city of Boom, near Antwerp.

The Antwerp prosecutor's office told AFP they were investigating the cause of death of the 35-year-old woman, who was one of tens of thousands of people who attended the festival's opening night on Friday.

Event organizers said the woman fell ill during the festival and "received first aid on site" but died after being taken to hospital.

"We were saddened to learn of her death this morning. Our thoughts are with her family, friends and loved ones," said Debbie Willemsen, a spokeswoman for Tomorrowland.

Tomorrowland attracts electronic music fans from around the world, with DJs including David Guetta, Lost Frequencies and Charlotte de Witt performing.

Around 400,000 people are expected to attend the event over the two weekends.

The festival was initially in doubt after a fire severely damaged its main stage earlier in the week. But organisers quickly put together an “alternative set-up” and the festival went ahead as planned.

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