The three-day festival's lineup was announced by concert organizers Tuesday. It will feature several surprises performances and will be held in Washington, D.C.
The festival will take place on Independence Avenue in Washington, DC, from Friday, June 17 through Sunday, June 19. The festival will include artists such as Ashe, Calvin Harris and Chloe x Halle.
This is the festival's inaugural year in D.C. It was originally held at Virginia Beach, Virginia (William's hometown), but it was moved to Washington after Williams' public dispute with the city's leadership.
Williams wrote to Patrick Duhaney in October 2021, expressing disappointment at how Virginia Beach handled Donovan Lynch's death at the hands of the police. Lynch was 25 when he was shot and killed by police in an altercation in March 2021. CBS affiliate WTKR reported Lynch was 25 years old when he was killed in an altercation with police. Although police claimed Lynch was "brandishing" a handgun, his family claims that the officer who shot Lynch was not properly trained.
Williams told Duhaney that Something in the Water was meant to improve the city's economic prospects, reduce racial tension, and unify the region. However, he said he was tired with the way the city's leadership dealt with Lynch's case, calling the "toxic energy" a "toxic energy".
Williams wrote, "I sang about a place with a roof but I'm tired of being politely and kindly shown the door." "Until the gate-keepers, the powers-that be, and the consumers base, stop viewing the idea of human right for all as a controversial notion, I don't have any issues with the city. But I also realize that the city hasn’t valued my solutions."
The festival will now make its East Coast debut at another hub. Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.
