It’s a rough week for Pharrell Williams. On Tuesday, his Lego movie premiere was crashed by PETA protestors; on Wednesday, he revealed that he and Neptunes bandmate Chad Hugo are not on speaking terms since their legal battle. On Friday, the musician’s festival Something In The Water commenced ticket sales, and then he canceled it hours later, postponing it to April 2025.

The event was slated for Oct. 12-13 at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. On social media, the festival posted a statement:

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. So SOMETHING IN THE WATER has to match that. It just isn’t ready yet. That’s why we as a team have decided we must postpone this year’s SOMETHING IN THE WATER festival that was due to take place in October.
This is not a Pharrell festival, this is the state of Virginia’s festival so it has to be the best. Virginia made me, and I want to honor it with as much love as it’s shown me my entire life. And you know me, everywhere I go it’s VA.
If you already bought festival passes, thank you. Any passes purchased with a debit or credit card will automatically be refunded.
For any cash purchases, fans can obtain their refund at the Veterans United Home Loan Amphitheater box office. Fans who bought passes for this year’s event will have
first access to purchase once the new dates are announced.
I am so grateful to our amazing sponsors and the city for their continued support and trust in us to get this right, and that time is April 2025.
This has to be EPIC, and trust me, after this long wait, it will be. Thank you for your support, love and understanding.
Until April.
Love,
Pharrell Williams
-P.W.

According to 13News Now, hundreds of people were waiting in line for tickets, some arriving as early as 2 a.m. Something In The Water has had a rocky few years. In 2020, it was canceled due to the pandemic. The following year Pharrell pulled it from Virginia Beach, citing the city’s “toxic energy” and the police killing of his cousin Donovan Lynch. In 2022, then in DC, it was described by USA Today as a “logistical nightmare” spoiled by “inexcusable delays.” Last year, back in Virginia Beach, its final day was canceled due to weather and Pharrell said he would be moving it to a different weekend for 2024. That was supposed to happen in one month, but that’s no longer happening.

Dearest Virginia, you deserve THE BEST. I promise it will be worth the wait. See you in April. All my love – P pic.twitter.com/X5z2fX1WcO

— SOMETHING IN THE WATER (@sitw) September 13, 2024