VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — With Something in the Water right around the corner (April 28-30), we still don’t have a lineup, but new details are coming out about the Virginia Beach music festival’s logistics and related events planned for those who might not have a ticket.
“Two very large stages”
One of the few nuggets shared about the actual festival itself is there will be two “very large stages” at 3rd and 10th streets, and those will face each other, organizer Ken MacDonald with IMGoing told city officials at a recent Resort Advisory Committee meeting.
That’s a different setup from the inaugural 2019 festival, where there was just one main stage at 5th Street. Another stage for the pop-up church service in 2019 was at 20th Street, but was only used on Sunday and faced the other way from the main stage.
To accommodate the changes, the entrance to the festival grounds will begin at 15th Street this year, instead of 10th Street like it was in 2019.
MacDonald said he couldn’t release information about ticket sales, but the expected capacity for the venue will soon be released, minutes from the meeting show.
Community events April 14 at Mount Trashmore, during festival
Whether or not you’re able to snag a ticket, everyone is invited to special community events before Something in the Water on April 14 at Mount Trashmore and during the festival weekend at Oceanfront parks at 17th, 24th and 36th streets.
The event at Mount Trashmore will run from 4:30-7 p.m. on April 14 and highlight local vendors and nonprofits.
WAVY’s reached out to organizers to learn more about these events, and will share updates here when we hear back.
Concurrent “Something Indie Water” festival
A new festival presented by music promoters theMSQshop will run the same weekend as Something in the Water (April 28-30) and highlight independent musicians of all genres from Virginia.
“We’re thrilled that Pharrell Williams continues to bring acclaimed national artists to Virginia,” said festival director Will Keck. “We want to show our support and use this opportunity to showcase independent artists from across the Commonwealth.”
The festival will be free and held at the FFX Theatre at 206 16th Street near the main entrance to Something in the Water. There will also be a fashion marketplace and local vendors present.
Organizers are asking musicians, vendors and others who’d like to take part in the festival to connect to them online at theMSQshop.com/event. Check back for more updates on the artists and set times.
So where’s the Something in the Water lineup?
Organizers haven’t shared the lineup as of March 8, but MacDonald said on March 2 that it would be released shortly.
“They know, but they were very tight-lipped,” Councilwoman Amelia Ross-Hammond said during a briefing with city council on Tuesday. “And they said that once they let us know, the balance of the tickets will literally fly out the door.”
An Instagram post on Tuesday, March 7 simply said “the moment you’ve been waiting for is near,” and said it was the last chance to get passes at current prices.
MacDonald again hasn’t shared how many tickets have been sold at this point. As of March 8, tickets were only available starting at $299 with a $50 added fee. Other levels, including a “locals only” tier for Virginia residents and those who attended the 2019 festival, have sold out.
For the inaugural festival in 2019, most of the lineup was announced the first week of March, before tickets went on sale.
WAVY will continue to monitor the latest SITW news and share any updates as they’re released. You can read more about the return of Something in the Water to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront on our dedicated Something in the Water page.
