Virginia Beach presentation says Something in the Water 2024 will be in October

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Pharrell Williams’ next installment of his Something in the Water music festival could be held at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront in October 2024.

As part of a presentation Tuesday afternoon to City Council about two new festivals coming in 2024, Nancy Helman, director of the city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, showed a slide listing “SITW October 2024.”

“This map shows the locations of the two new events plus the Something in the Water festival so you can see the impacts to the Oceanfront community,” Helman said.

Something in the Water won’t be held in traditional slot of late April in 2024

The map identifies the Something in the Water Festival occurring from 3rd to 14th Streets on the sand and again at 20th Street.

While city spokesperson Tiffany Russell confirmed Helman’s slide deck did identify the festival as occurring in October 2024, she would not confirm the accuracy of what it said and reiterated that the festival will make an announcement about the confirmed dates.

However the slide confirms what multiple sources, not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, have been saying.

Williams, who was born and raised in Virginia Beach, said he was looking to move the festival from its traditional date in April after inclement weather led to delays and cancellations again in both 2019 and 2023.

Resort business owners pushed back, saying moving the weekend of the festival would defeat the reason the festival was created.

Williams pitched the event in 2018 as an effort to move the city away from the stigma of College Beach Weekend, an unofficial annual event where students from historically Black colleges and universities would come down to the beach ahead of finals. The weekend that often corresponded with the fourth weekend in April was often marked by violence.

SITW’s mission is to “unite communities, celebrate diversity and empower everyone from the youth to small business owners.” It has been considered a huge success by fans and business owners alike.

Something in the Water didn’t make enough for $2M city sponsorship, still sees positive impact

John Zirkle, president of the Virginia Beach Hotel Association, said while he is disappointed the festival is choosing to move dates, he is encouraged the festival will stay in Virginia Beach.

“It’s been good for us,” Zirkle said. “I’m also happy the city is committed to keeping programing on the original weekend.”

Tuesday night, City Council will consider sponsoring a festival put on by Audacy Virginia for April 26-28.

In the same presentation, Helman said Audacy is looking to bring national acts from the pop, R&B, rap and/or contemporary genres to a stage on 31st Street. There would also be local acts on the resort’s 17th and 24th Street stages.

The city would provide all police, fire and public works services free of charge and spend $750,000 that Audacy will in turn use to advertise the city on radio stations across the country.

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