Pharrell Williams has canceled his annual Something in the Water festival, which was scheduled to take place October 12-13 on the Virginia Beach waterfront.
In a post on social media, he explained that he decided to cancel the festival because it wasn't ready for the public. He wrote: “Virginia doesn't deserve better, she deserves better. SOMETHING IN THE WATER has to match that. It's not ready yet. That's why we as a team have decided that we must postpone this year's SOMETHING IN THE WATER festival, which was scheduled to take place in October.”
Williams, a Virginia native, explained that the festival has grown beyond its size, and that he wanted to create an event that would be appropriate for his state. “Virginia made me, and I want to honor it with the same love it has shown me throughout my life,” he said. “And you know me, wherever I go, I find Virginia.”
At the end of his message, Williams indicated that he is looking forward to April 2025 as a tentative date for the show. He wrote: “I am so grateful to our amazing sponsors and the city for their continued support and trust in us to get this done, and that time is April 2025. This should be epic, and believe me, after such a long wait, it will be. Thank you for your support, love and understanding.”
Those who purchased tickets to the festival will be refunded and will have priority to purchase tickets once the new offer is announced. News of the festival's cancellation came more than six hours after a tier of exclusive tickets was released to Virginia residents, with some purchasing tickets in person.
Of Something in the Water's three previous shows, one was canceled for a full day due to weather while another was held in Washington, D.C. due to Williams' troubles with Virginia Beach after his cousin was killed by a local police officer. In the past, Something in the Water has featured performances from Clipse, Justin Timberlake, Post Malone, Usher, Wu-Tang Clan and many more.
Williams is currently focused on the release of his upcoming documentary, Piece by Piece, which had its international premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. Directed by Morgan Neville, the film takes an unusual approach to telling Williams’ life story, using animated Lego figures instead of real people.
