The first day of Pharrell Williams' Something in the Water festival echoed the first event in 2019: a Friday weather delay.

But unlike four years ago, the show will go on tonight. Gates to the festival are scheduled to open at 5 p.m., with music starting shortly afterward.

The festival had announced a delay until further notice this morning due to rain and high winds. 

The delay canceled a few sets that were scheduled for Friday afternoon, including Kenny Beats, Black Sherif and Remi Wolf.

In 2019, weather canceled the entire first day of performances, but attendance still peaked at 34,000 people over the course of the weekend.

"We have a weather challenge but we had the same type of challenge in 2019," Mayor Bobby Dyer told WHRO Friday. "Through adversity we'll find opportunity."

He added that Williams is a "favorite son" and part of Virginia Beach's DNA. "His success is our success."

The city of Virginia Beach has extended the festival's permit hours to midnight on Friday and Saturday nights to accommodate additional programming.

Festival officials said they'll provide real-time updates about the weather delay in their official Something in the Water phone app.

The National Weather Service in Wakefield predicts a clear Saturday, with more rain and thunderstorms likely on Sunday.

This year's Something in the Water is the second held in Virginia Beach but the third overall. It's expected to bring some 50,000 people to the Oceanfront.

Here are the basics as you head out to the Oceanfront this weekend:

Getting there

There are going to be street closures, but as long as you avoid the area between 5th and 17th streets, you won’t run into any planned closures.

That being said, the city has warned traffic will likely be heavy all around the resort area. Be prepared to be patient.

A full list of closures is here.

IMG 2240
Image from Something in the Water app 

Parking

City lots will be open, but will fill up quickly. The city recommends using the VBGo app to check where city spots are (and you can pay for the parking on the app).

Once those are full, there are private lots, but owners can charge whatever they want, so be prepared to pay for a good spot. City lots will follow their special event pricing, which is capped at $20. 

If you can, use a rideshare service, which will drop you near the Convention Center, bike, walk or use the festival shuttle from the Amphitheater.

Performance schedule

There are two stages this year: One around 5th Street on the sand and the other around 11th Street on the sand. 

The most accurate performance schedule will be on the festival app. If you’re looking for Pharrell, he’s scheduled for late Saturday night.

Weather

At this point, it's simply a matter of when and how much it will rain this weekend.

Festival delays or cancellations will be accessible via the app.

If the music stops, there are still a number of events happening outside festival grounds and nearby places will still be open for visitors:

  • The Museum of Contemporary Art, which is a quick walk down 22nd Street, will be open their regular hours on Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Right now, they’re showing “Cut to the Quick” by artist Kara Walker, which examines Black history in America through art that re-examines topics like slavery and the Civil War.
  • A number of bars will host special events throughout the weekend, like the Oceanfront Eats Day Party at 30th Street and special DJ sets at bars like The Bunker, Calypso, Ocean’s 27 and more.
  • The Virginia Beach Art Center in the ViBe district has a gallery curated under the theme of “Mother Earth.” The Center’s regular hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Fridays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays.