VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Something in the Water festival will not be held the fourth weekend in April next year, according to Virginia Beach officials.
The three-day festival has been held on the fourth weekend of April in the past, but Pharrell Williams floated the idea of moving it following bad weather during the 2023 festival.
Instead, Audacy has proposed holding a three-day music festival that weekend. They proposed holding a festival this fall, but it fell through.
In the agenda, city staffers write that the "city has received notice the Something in the Water festival cannot be held on its customary date of Week 17."
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The festival was started in 2019 to happen at the end of April, which was known as College Beach Weekend.
The weekend had been marred by violence and other issues over the years, so the festival was meant to help give young people something to do that weekend.
Dearest Virginia,
— Pharrell Williams (@Pharrell) April 30, 2023
We are the best.
These past few days @sitw #sitwfest have been the best.
Even during this Tornado Watch and Lightning Storm right now as I type, we are the best.
Thank you for giving the folks that travel here that energy and that LOVE that only we can give.… pic.twitter.com/pTGwbUY562
The first year of the festival was considered a great success.
The pandemic led to the cancellation of the festival in 2020 and 2021.
Pharrell then decided to move the festival to Washington, D.C. in 2022 following concerns over city leadership at the time.
This year it came back to Virginia Beach, but got off to a delayed start on the first day and was canceled on the third day due to weather.
There is also a proposal to hold a music festival with reggae acts from May 31 to June 2.
The city will vote on whether to sponsor the festivals on Tuesday.
No new date for SITW is listed in the city council agenda.
