VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Something in the Water organizers say they will propose new dates for the 2025 festival this month, and are promising ticket sales by the end of this year.
Something in the Water Executive Producer Robby Wells shared those updates to Virginia Beach City Council during Tuesday’s informal council session, less than a month after his team opted to not move forward with the 2024 festival. It was set to happen this weekend (Oct. 12-13).
Wells didn’t say exactly when those 2025 dates could be, but said his team wants the festival to be “additive” to the city. He shared that he believes the previous festival times in the spring (late April in 2019 and 2023) and fall (proposed for 2024) were “both overall additive to the mix.”
“There’s been conversations about weather … our social post even references weather. Weather’s been a reality. It’s outside of our control right? So we just have to choose,” Wells said. “But no matter what we’ll choose what’s, number 1, best for the festival in order to ensure its success and it’s what our proposal will always be rooted in. At the same time we’re always working under the sentiment that we’re trying to be additive as possible.”
Wells added they want to minimize the festival’s “invasiveness” for other potential events happening in the city.
Meanwhile, Wells and his team have set deadlines ahead of the 2025 festival, which include sending the proposed dates to the city by Oct. 19. He said the official festival announcement and ticket sales will go live by the end of 2024.
Councilman Joash Schulman asked that Wells’ team “look long and hard” about bringing the festival back to April, the time the public seems to want it the most, added Councilman Worth Remick.
Vice Mayor Rosemary Wilson also relayed requests from the Virginia Beach Hotel Association, which wrote in a letter to council. The association says it wants the music lineup to be released earlier to “help build credibility,” Wilson said, and a multi-year contract with the festival going forward.
You can read the full letter here:
This article will be updated.