VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — It’s almost festival season in Virginia Beach, which means thousands of people will pack the Oceanfront starting in April.
Locals and visitors will see some new names and familiar festivals.
Mary Souther said she is excited about all of the events happening.
"I volunteer at these events because I like to welcome people outside of our community so that people outside of our community feel welcome," Souther said. "I have a relative competing in Jackalope, my kids have already bought tickets for the Point Break Fest."
But living on the North End, she said she and some of her neighbors have concerns.
"We’ve had some issues with short-term rentals, or what we call spillover events where a big house party spills onto the beach."
During a community meeting Thursday morning, city leaders addressed those questions saying there will be a large police presence, not just in the perimeter of each festival, but throughout the city.
"As soon as city council approves and sometimes even before when we hear about an event we end up beginning our planning process," said a representative from the Virginia Beach Police Department. "Basically, we don't overstaff an event and leave the rest of the city unprepared."
They said they train with other public safety departments throughout the year to practice communications and managing incidents.
The summer festival season kicks off on April 26 with the Audacy Oceanfront Concerts. It’s a weekend typically held by Pharrell Williams’ Something in the Water music festival.
"Audacy offered to step in and fill that weekend with a concert and festival that is bringing diverse entertainment," said Bill Kelly, Assistant Resort Administrator.
Throughout the rest of the summer, locals and visitors can also head to the beach for:
- Memorial Day Weekend Salute to Summer-- May 24-26
- Jackalope Fest-- May 31st-June 2
- Point Break Music Festival-- June 1-2
- The North American Sand Soccer Championship-- June 7-9
- The Fourth of July Stars and Stripes Celebration-- July 4
All of these events are expected to bring at least 10,000 people per day, while city leaders expect 20,000 for the fourth of July.
Kelly noted the high volume of parking but encouraged people to arrive early and be patient.
"As you see, this is an exciting and diverse lineup of entertainment and this is just a small snippet of what we’re providing," he said.
As for two other notable events, Kelly said there are no plans for the country music festival 'Beach It' to return. He said city leaders are still in negotiations for Something in the Water, and said they hope to make an announcement soon.
Back in December, a city councilman confirmed Something in the Water could return in October of 2024.
City leaders said there will be another community meeting for Oceanfront events happening later in the year.
For information about these events, can visit VirginiaBeach.gov/BeInTheKnow, or email oceanfrontevents@vbgov.com.