VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Pharrell Williams has postponed the Something in the Water music festival until April 2025.

The announcement came in a letter addressed to the state of Virginia that was posted Friday afternoon across the music festival’s social media pages, beginning with:

“Dearest Virginia, I love you with all my heart. Nobody loves you more than I do. Virginia doesn’t deserve better, Virginia deserves THE BEST.”

The letter stated that the festival, scheduled for Oct. 12 and 13 at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, “just isn’t ready yet” and that to “get this right” it would be postponed until next spring.

The announcement was made hours after tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. for Virginia residents and lines formed at the Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater early Friday morning. Williams’ letter stated that passes purchased with a credit or debit card would be refunded. Cash purchases would be refunded at the box office.

Virginia Beach City Manager Patrick Duhaney emailed the City Council with news around 3:30 p.m. Friday. He stated that his staff would discuss the next steps with the council. The postponement is also a hit for some businesses, such as hotels that will see a wave of canceled reservations. Hotelier and former City Councilman John Uhrin said that by canceling so close to the date “you then have turned down other business you could have had.”

Something in the Water was last held in April 2023 but was moved to the fall to coincide with the release of an animated Lego-themed movie about Williams’ life, “Piece by Piece.”

———

(Stacy Parker contributed to the article.)

———

©2024 The Virginian-Pilot. Visit pilotonline.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.