Looks like the Virginia Beach City Council grew a pair.

Finally.

After months of being played by the organizers of Pharrell Williams’ illusive Something In The Water Festival, the city is pulling the plug on the 2025 weekend event that was never going to happen.

The history of the hip hop festival dates back to 2019 when Beach native Pharrell Williams joined the city to turn the most crime-filled weekend of the year - April’s annual Beach College Weekend - into something positive.

It was a success.

Never to be repeated, as it turned out.

In fact, after that first year the event seemed cursed.

First there were the covid years when the then-governor  - an idiot - banned outdoor gatherings. Next came a souring on Virginia Beach by Pharrell after his cousin was shot to death by a police officer. Then commenced a game of cat and mouse between city officials trying to woo the superstar back home.

The festival moved from spring to fall in 2024, but just as tickets went on sale for the October event, Williams abruptly cancelled.

In November his team signed an agreement with the city to hold SITW in April 2025,  with a December 31 deadline to announce a line-up and begin ticket sales.

The New Year dawned with no action from the organizers, who asked for more time.

Shaking their tiny fists in rage, city officials demanded weekly status meetings with the organizers  but finally even those proved fruitless.

According to The Virginian-Pilot, the city is firing off a termination letter this morning informing the organizers that they missed a 5 p.m. deadline on Monday to live up to the contract with the city.

Last week, the City Council learned that festival organizers had not provided any information regarding ticket sales or the festival lineup of entertainers. City Manager Patrick Duhaney also indicated that time was running out to coordinate with festival logistics and safety contractors.

The council decided last Tuesday to give the festival notice of a breach of contract, giving organizers until the end of business Monday to take action or forfeit the city’s financial and logistical support.

This should be the end.

But never underestimate the Virginia Beach City Council’s ability to cave to powerful interests.