This story was reported by WHRO.
Just a month before it was scheduled to occur, the Something in the Water music festival in Virginia Beach was postponed until April 2025.
Pharrell Williams broke the news last Friday, the day tickets went on sale for Virginia residents and the lineup was to be announced.
“It just isn’t ready yet,” Williams shared on the festival's official Instagram account.
Written in the form of a love letter to Virginia, he said the commonwealth deserved the best and that the festival “has to match that.”
“That’s why we as a team have decided to postpone this year’s festival,” he wrote. The post did not state exactly when in April SITW is expected to occur.
Created by Williams in 2018, the fest went on hiatus in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Then Something in the Water moved to Washington, D.C., in 2022 after a Virginia Beach police officer shot and killed Williams’ cousin, Donovan Lynch.
Last year, during its return to Virginia Beach, rain and a tornado caused delays and cancellations.
Williams thanked fans that had purchased tickets to the festival Friday, noting that passes bought with debit or credit cards would be automatically refunded.
“For any cash purchases, fans can obtain their refund at the Veterans United Home Loan Amphitheater box office,” Williams wrote. “Fans who bought passes for this year’s event will have first access to purchase once the new dates are announced.”
Something in the Water is a significant economic driver for the city. Virginia Beach officials reported the 2023 festival generated a $27.7 million statewide economic impact and drew in $1.5 million in tax revenue for the city.
This fall's festival was expected to receive the same financial support from the city as 2023 — with $2 million set aside in the 2024 budget to do so.
Copyright 2024 WHRO
