VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Beach city leaders have given Something in the Water organizers another ultimatum, as the festival planners have five more days to remedy their breach of contract.
Councilmember Dr. Amelia Ross-Hammond said in Tuesday's meeting, “It is time to move forward.” 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.” But he recommended to move forward with the city attorney in notifying the Something in the Water team that they are in breach of the contract agreement and they would have five days to cure that breach of contract.
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…”
As we reported, SITW leaders missed their December 31 deadline to announce the festival's lineup and commence ticket sales.
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 which gave the organizers five days to release ticket sales and a lineup, but city council deferred to give SITW more time in an 8-2 vote on Jan. 7.
“Don’t mistake kindness for weakness," Dyer said when the contract deadline was missed. "This is what I consider a culture of arrogance and disrespect for this council and the people of Virginia."
Starting Jan. 14, the city agreed to get weekly updates from the festival planners, but during that first update, there was really no update! The deputy city manager said that was because some of the festival planners had been directly impacted by the California wildfires, according to News 3's Angela Bohon.
Previous coverage: Why Virginia Beach leaders didn't get as much of an update on Something in the Water as expected
On Tuesday, News 3 received this statement from Virginia Beach city leaders:
City staff has been in regular communication with the Something in the Water team, and organizers have indicated positive progress. However, no updates regarding ticket sales or the release of a lineup have been provided at this time. If the SITW team does not submit an acceptable resolution within the timeframes outlined in the contract, City staff will begin developing alternative plans for the April weekend.
The festival was originally slated for October 2024 with a locals-only ticket sales that commenced on Sept. 13, but later that day Pharrell Williams announced that the festival would be postponed until April 2025.
Previous coverage: Something in the Water postponed to April '25 after start of locals only sale, Pharrell says
Following that announcement, the city and SITW organizers entered a sponsorship agreement to help guarantee timeliness and organization.
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.
