VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Pharrell Williams’s ‘Something in the Water’ music festival has historically drawn in a large crowd to the Oceanfront. Naturally, there’s an increase in traffic not just in the festival space, but in the surrounding areas.
With that in mind, here’s what locals and visitors can expect for the weekend of Friday, April 28- Sunday, April 30.
Park and Ride Shuttle Plan
We’re told the plan will be very similar to what we saw in 2019. Virginia Beach City School buses will start leaving the Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater (near Princess Anne Road and Dam Neck Road) around noon on Friday. The lots will open for people parking at 11 a.m.
Those buses will travel eastbound on Dam Neck Road and will take a left on northbound General Booth Blvd to Pacific and 12th Street. There will be one northbound, right-hand lane on General Booth Blvd dedicated to shuttle buses. Traffic cones will separate that lane.
If you need to make a right-hand turn off of General Booth northbound, you will be allowed to. The designated travel lanes let shuttles get by easier and allow traffic operations staff to monitor traffic cameras.
This gives the buses more “green light” time traveling to the beach. That same plan will be used for shuttle buses returning to the Amphitheater.
The Virginia Beach Police Department Special Events Unit realizes there may be some congestion and has a progressive diversion plan in place to assist residents in affected neighborhoods at or near the Oceanfront for ease of access in and out of neighborhoods.
Traffic operation teams say they will start setting up shuttle lanes around 9 a.m. on the three days of the festival. 10 On Your Side is working to learn the final time buses will return to the amphitheater in the evening.
The only difference between arriving and departing shuttle plans is that buses leaving the festival during the day from the Pacific Avenue and 12th Street drop-off/loading zone, will go north to Virginia Beach Boulevard, turn left, and head west to Birdneck Road.
From there, they will make a left and travel down Birdneck Road to General Booth Boulevard, make a right, and return to the Amphitheater. At night, all buses leaving will make a left onto Pacific Avenue and head south back over Rudee Bridge to General Booth Boulevard.
You don’t need to pay for parking, but each ticket holder must have a shuttle pass. You can buy a 3-day shuttle pass here for $50.
Organizers strongly recommend not parking overnight, as the festival is not liable for your vehicle. The amphitheater lots will lock their parking lots at 2 a.m. after each show day.
They will not open again until 11 a.m. the next show day. After the event weekend is over, the venue could tow cars starting on Monday afternoon.
You can read more about the full road closure plans by clicking here.
Have any traffic questions related to Something in the Water? Reach out to 10 On Your Side’s Traffic Anchor Madison Pearman at madison.pearman@wavy.com
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