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Pharrell's Something in the Water Festival won't return to Virginia Beach in 2022 amid concern over the city's response to his cousin's death.

October 6, 2021 Pharrells Something in the Water Festival wont return to Virginia Beach in 2022 amid concern over the citys response to his cousins death. Pharrell is pulling his Something in the Water Festival from Virginia Beach in response to the citys handling of his cousins death. Last week, Virginia Beach officials found out Pharrell wasnt going to bring the festival back to his hometown in 2022. After city leaders begged him to reconsider, the Neptunes producer explained his decision in a letterto City Manager Patrick Duhaney. When we did the festival, it was to ease racial tension, to unify the region, bring about economic development opportunities and broaden the horizons of the local business community, Pharrell wrote. We achieved those things! I wish the same energy Ive felt from Virginia Beach leadership upon losing the festival would have been similarly channeled following the loss of my relatives life. Pharrells cousin Donovan Lynch was shot and killed by a Virginia Beach police officer in March. Lynchs death was ruled a homicideby a medical examiner, but no criminal charges have been filed against the officer. In Pharrells letter, he expressed frustration over the citys response to his cousins death. He accused Virginia Beach leadership of having toxic energy. I love my city, but for far too long it has been run by and with toxic energy, he wrote. The toxic energy that changed the narrative several times around the homicide of my cousin, Donovan Lynch, a citizen of Virginia, is the same toxic energy that changed the narrative around the mass murder and senseless loss of life at Building Number 2. According to Virginia Beach, the Something in the Water Festival had a total economic impact of $24.11 million. Pharrell hasnt decided if the event will return at all, but it will never come back to his hometown unless the city rectifies its problems. I sang about a room without a roof, but I am tired of kindly and politely being shown the door, Pharrell wrote. Until the gatekeepers and the powers-that-be consider the citizens and the consumer base, and no longer view the idea of human rights for all as a controversial idea I dont have any problems with the city, but I realize the city hasnt valued my proposed solutions, either. Pharrell hosted the inaugural and so far, only Something in the Water Festival in 2019. Planned events in 2020 and 2021 were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Posted in News Read more