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A major music festival in Barcelona has been evacuated after a massive fire engulfed its stage.

The inferno broke out at Tomorrowland Unite Spain festival hours before top DJ Steve Aoki was set to headline the event.

Video footage has emerged showing thick plumes of smoke billowing into the sky after the left hand side of the main stage caught fire.

Some 22,000 people were forced to flee, according to local media.

One eyewitness said on social media the stage “just exploded”.

No injuries have been reported as a result of the blaze.

Steve Aoki, best known for his chart-topping collaboration Just Hold On with One Direction star Louis Tomlinson, was due on stage at 2am local time, with the one-day festival expected to carry on until 3am.

The director general of civil protection in Catalunya tweeted that 22,143 people had been evacuated from the event, but no injuries had been reported so far.

It is not yet known what the cause of the fire was, although local media reported that it appeared to be related to the pyrotechnics, and it was quickly brought under control.

The line-up for the evening had also been set to include DJs Ingrosso and Afrojack.