Virginia Beach hometown hero Pharrell Williams brought excitement to the area with the announcement of his Something In The Water festival just weeks ago, but now, the event is facing pushback from the city after some serious logistical issues surfaced, just weeks out from its projected start date.
Alissa Skelton of The Virginian-Pilot reported from Virginia Beach City Council yesterday afternoon that council members have concerns about the last-minute seeming nature of the festival’s planning. Of particular note is the festival’s plan to use the city’s school buses during the festival, which they feel could cause liability issues for the city with tired drivers on Monday morning.
At Virginia Beach City Council, several council members are worried about how the logistics of the Something In The Water Festival are being planned last minute. Councilwoman Henley said she is worried the city is rapidly exceeding its capacity and ability to handle the event.
— Alissa Skelton (@AlissaSkelton) April 2, 2019
The festival plans to use 70 school buses. Councilwoman Abbott said she is worried, too. She said: how will bus drivers until 11 p.m. on Sunday and then wake up before dawn to drive kids to school? Henley said she doubted the buses could be cleaned in time.
— Alissa Skelton (@AlissaSkelton) April 2, 2019
The council members don't want to be liable for any damages done to the buses. Councilman Jim Wood said the festival organizers need to get insurance to cover those costs.
— Alissa Skelton (@AlissaSkelton) April 2, 2019
Councilman Wood: I am extremely concerned about overtired bus drivers. I don’t want buses to run past 7 p.m. so bus drivers have an opportunity to get 8 hours of sleep.
— Alissa Skelton (@AlissaSkelton) April 2, 2019
Also, Skelton made it a point to note that with the festival just about three weeks away, there is still no schedule of events, so it’s hard to determine exact logistical needs. While Pharrell’s partnership with Airbnb seems geared toward accommodating festival attendees’ needs, the city council apparently has an entirely different set of concerns to address.
One more thing I will point out: we still don't have a schedule for the festival events. SITW is happening in a little more than three weeks and we still don't know all of the logistics of the festival. How is this possible?
— Alissa Skelton (@AlissaSkelton) April 2, 2019
Councilwoman Henley: I hope asking questions is not seen as non-welcoming. We want this to be successful, but our concerns need to be expressed.
— Alissa Skelton (@AlissaSkelton) April 2, 2019
After all, we all remember Fyre Festival’s clear red flags ahead of the fest’s disastrous weekend in the Bahamas. How could anyone forget with not just one, but two competing documentaries currently on streaming services. While it’s highly doubtful Something In The Water could reach a fiasco of those proportions, considering that it’s taking place in a mainland city rather than on a tiny island, if these issues can’t be resolved, I don’t think anyone would mind if the festival were postponed a couple months, if only to ensure that everyone has a good time — and that Virginia Beach’s students make it school safe and sound.
