Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer issued an ultimatum Tuesday afternoon to the organizers of the Something in the Water festival: sign a contract by the end of the week or the city will move on.
Dyer’s warning came after festival organizers missed a deadline to secure a new three- or five-year contract with the city. Something in the Water, a multi-day music festival created by Virginia Beach native Pharrell Williams, typically attracts tens of thousands of fans, but in 2024, the event instead brought disappointment. The festival, originally scheduled for October, was postponed to April 2025 just hours after tickets went on sale.
Dyer expressed frustration with what he and other city council members described as poor planning by festival organizers. They said it seemed as though the city was being taken advantage of. Dyer set Friday as the deadline for finalizing the contract.
“If they do not have this signed, sealed and delivered by close of business on Friday, on Tuesday I will be making a recommendation that we pull the plug and go in a different direction,” Dyer said.
The demand for a contract comes roughly a month after city leaders set conditions for the festival’s organizers, requiring a signed agreement by Nov. 1—a deadline that has since passed.
Since the festival’s inception, it has traditionally taken place in April, though weather disruptions have affected it in both 2019 and 2023. Earlier this year, organizers confirmed the 2024 festival would take place Oct. 12-13, and tickets were released without a lineup announcement. Lines of fans queued for tickets, but the event was postponed to 2025 within hours. Williams explained the delay, citing a lack of readiness.
Those who bought tickets were refunded, but city officials noted the economic impact on local hotels and businesses. City-imposed conditions now require organizers to keep officials informed on planning, announce a lineup and start ticket sales before year-end, with termination rights for the city if terms are unmet.
City leaders had hoped for a finalized 2025 plan by early November.