Did you get your ticket? Pharrell’s highly anticipated, ‘Something in the Water’ (SITW) festival has completely sold out and according to its line-up and website, it’s worth all of the hype! The festival is set for April 26-28, the same weekend as Virginia Beach’s heavily attended, College Beach Weekend. This festival has potential to be the best event the Hampton Roads area has ever seen, and after this star-studded weekend, Virginia will never be the same again. Here’s everything you need to know about SITW:
It’s not a SCAM! Let’s not forget who’s name is behind this festival, ten-time Grammy award-winning rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, and fashion designer, Pharrell Williams. This isn’t your garage recording studio owning uncle’s music festival, so let’s stop underestimating it. According to a local station, Wavy News 10, the city of Virginia Beach has agreed to spend $250,000 to sponsor the event as well as allowing complimentary use of the Virginia Beach Convention Center, the Oceanfront stages and services of Police and Public Works.
Virginia Beach also will be providing two satellite parking lots west and south of the Oceanfront, so the festival area won’t be gridlocked, and will also cut off inbound traffic if the crowds grow too large. Trolleys will also be on site to transport people to different sites of the festival.
There’s passion behind this project. Pharrell himself is a 757 native and wants to enhance the area. “Virginia has been home to some of the most gifted artists, athletes, and scientists to ever live. And it makes sense — the people of Virginia are one-of-a-kind: uniquely gritty, bold, and brilliant,” Pharrell said in an interview with The Associated Press. “Virginia needs this right now and the world will see what we Virginians have known all along: there really is Something in the Water.”
Leave all of your prior assumptions about the 757 and Netflix’s Fyre Festival documentary vibes at home. The city of Virginia Beach is behind Pharrell 110% with this festival. The city wants SITW to be a success so that it will eventually cancel out the city’s College Beach Weekend that is known for its chaos and violence. Virginia Beach Mayor Robert “Bobby” Dyer says he believes the festival will be “a transformative event for our city.”
Along with other big-name acts like, Travis Scott, Migos, and Janelle Monae, the SITW line-up features many artists who are also Virginia natives, including Chris Brown, Missy Elliott, Masego, and DRAM.
Something In The Water is about more than just the music. It is about elevating and exposing an area to new and exciting things. Other events that will be taking place during the festival include a pop-up church service, trap karaoke, and a screening of the film “The Burial of Kojo” which is acquired by Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY company. The screening of the film, which premieres on Netflix on March 31, will be followed by a discussion.
I hope your tickets are secured because this festival is surely history in the making. If you didn’t, I guess there’s always next year.