Pharrell Williams Cancels Something in the Water Festival Just Hours After Ticket Sales Begin [Video]

Pharrell Williams has officially canceled this year’s Something in the Water Festival, which was set to take place on October 12th and 13th at Virginia Beach Oceanfront. 

In a social media post shared on the event’s Twitter account, Williams explained that the decision was made because the festival wasn’t yet “ready” to be presented. 

“Virginia doesn’t deserve better, Virginia deserves THE BEST,” the statement read.  “So SOMETHING IN THE WATER has to meet that standard.  It’s just not ready yet.  That’s why, as a team, we’ve decided to postpone this year’s event.”

Dearest Virginia, you deserve THE BEST. I promise it will be worth the wait. See you in April. All my love – P pic.twitter.com/X5z2fX1WcO

— SOMETHING IN THE WATER (@sitw) September 13, 2024

Williams, a Virginia native, emphasized that the festival has grown beyond himself and that he aims to create an event worthy of representing his home state.  He also hinted at a new date, targeting April 2025 for the rescheduled event. 

“I’m deeply grateful to our amazing sponsors and the city for their continued support and trust. This has to be EPIC, and after this long wait, it will be.  Thank you for your patience, love, and understanding,” Williams added in the message.

The news of the cancellation came just hours after an exclusive tier of tickets was made available to Virginia residents.  Social media videos show people waiting in long lines to get the passes, only to learn that the concert had been scrapped.

SOMETHING IN THE WATER GETTING CANCELLED OPENING DAY OF TICKET SALES FOR LOCAL VA RESIDENTS IS INSANE LMFAOOOO.

— 🌻NEYA🌻 (@brownie_amor) September 13, 2024

lol I knew months ago Something in the Water wasn’t happening this year

— Red 💃🏽🇵🇷 (@kcunique_) September 13, 2024

Something in the Water’s Fall From Grace should be studied. Dead gawd.

— She Is Italian. (@_lbrewiii_) September 13, 2024

Previous editions of Something in the Water have seen various challenges, including a weather-related cancellation and a relocation to Washington, D.C., following Williams’ conflicts with Virginia Beach after the death of his cousin at the hands of a local officer.  Despite these setbacks, the festival has featured notable performances from artists such as Clipse, Justin Timberlake, Post Malone, Usher, and Wu-Tang Clan.

Ticket holders will be refunded and given priority access to purchase tickets once the new date is confirmed.