Pharrell Williams‘ Something in the Water festival in his hometown of Virginia Beach, Va., has been canceled hours after a limited amount of tickets went on sale to local residents. The event was planned for Oct. 12-13 at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront but no lineup had been announced.
“Virginia doesn’t deserve better, Virginia deserves THE BEST,” Williams wrote on social media. “So SOMETHING IN THE WATER has to match that. It just isn’t ready yet. That’s why we as a team have decided we must postpone this year’s SOMETHING IN THE WATER festival that was due to take place in October.”
Fans, some of whom had traveled from other nearby cities, lined up in the middle of the night to buy tickets at Veterans United Home Lone Amphitheater and were informed of the news while waiting to do so. Per Williams, Something in the Water will return in April 2025.
“This has to be EPIC, and trust me, after this long wait, it will be,” he said. “Thank you for your support, love and understanding.”
Despite eclectic lineups featuring everyone from Justin Timberlake and Wu-Tang Clan to Arcade Fire and Dave Matthews Band, Something in the Water has been plagued by weather and other logistical issues in recent years. Williams also temporarily moved the event to Washington, D.C. after his cousin was killed by a Virginia Beach police officer in 2021.
The news comes as Williams is making the promotional rounds for his new Lego-based animated biopic, Piece by Piece.