VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Beach city leaders have sent a letter to Something in the Water organizers notifying them of breach of contract, and gave a deadline of Monday, Jan. 27 close of business to resolve the issues.
The letter tasks organizers with dropping a lineup and starting ticket sales — which was supposed to be done by Dec. 31, as outlined in a sponsorship agreement.
News 3 obtained a copy of the notice the city sent to organizers (attached below), which gives them just five days to cure the breach. If not, their sponsorship agreement will be terminated and the city will ask them to return the advanced funding provided for the festival.
Something in the Water
Read the agreement breach email sent to SITW organizers by VB leaders
The email was sent to Penni Thow with Copper, an investment and talent advisory firm with ventures in entertainment, media, and more.
Leaders decided to put a hard deadline in place at Tuesday's city council meeting, where they discussed the lack of substantial updates from organizers.
“It is time to move forward," said Councilmember Dr. Amelia Ross-Hammond. Later in the meeting, she commented, “This is it. We love the entertainment, but we wanted you to love us back by giving us the right time.”
Mayor Bobby Dyer said, "It’s a tough decision," before ultimately recommending to send the notice.
When talking about the approaching date, Dyer stated, “Unfortunately, our backs are to the wall.” He also said it's "Not for lack on our part…”
Previous coverage: Something in the Water asks for extension after missing lineup, ticket sales deadline
Mayor Dyer originally proposed an ultimatum at the beginning of January, shortly after organizers missed the Dec. 31 deadline regarding the lineup and ticket sales. At the time, city council opted not to go that route in an 8-2 vote, and opted to get weekly updates from festival planners instead.
Previous coverage: Something in the Water postponed to April '25 after start of locals only sale, Pharrell says
News 3 has been extensively covering the issue, especially due to its major economic impact in the city. Additionally, the festival has been a highly-anticipated event since Virginia Beach native Pharrell Williams launched the inaugural SITW back in 2019.
