Famed singer and producer Pharrell Williams’ Something in the Water Festival kicks off its inaugural festival in Washington, D.C., on Friday.
Held over Juneteenth weekend, June 17-19, the festival is taking across three stages on Independence Avenue and its adjacent streets. The festival, which aims to “fight systemic issues for historically marginalized communities,” will feature captivating performances by heavy-hitters such as Ashanti & Ja Rule, Dave Matthews Band, Pharrell & Phriends, Pusha T, Tyler, the Creator, Usher, and many more.
“SOMETHING IN THE WATER is a Black solution (LOVE) for a systemic issue, and this year we are taking our celebration to a higher platform — the nation’s Capital during Juneteenth Weekend,” Williams said in a press release.
“We want to show the world that there is SOMETHING IN THE WATER across the whole DMV and I want to continue to bring awareness to the greatness within these communities and invite large corporations to show up for the people. D.C. has always been a deep inspiration to me as a person and a musician. It is the land where Go- Go Music was birthed, which has provided so much for our people.”
Pharrell even took it upon himself to gift free festival passes to every senior in high school set to graduate in D.C.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser added, “If you’re celebrating music, if you’re celebrating Black excellence, if you’re drawing attention to the people who have dedicated their lives to knocking down barriers and uplifting our communities — then there is no better place to do that than in Washington, D.C.,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser. “We are proud to be working with Pharrell to bring SOMETHING IN THE WATER to D.C. for Juneteenth weekend.”
A full listing of the set times for each day can be found here.