VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — How far would you travel for your perfect music festival? With the return of Pharrell Williams’ Something in the Water in April 2023, many in Hampton Roads won’t have to go far. For those outside of the area, however, early numbers from Airbnb provided to 10 On Your Side give an idea of how far people are willing to go, and pay.
For the weekend of April 28-30, the top five cities that people are searching from for rentals in Virginia Beach include Roanoke (a 4 1/2-hour drive), Newport News, Richmond and Washington D.C., which hosted the three-day event last year. There’s also one surprising outlier on the list: Elkhart, Indiana, which is a cool 12 to 13 hours away by car.
The top five states for searches are Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Indiana.
The online short-term rental platform also hinted at how much money the festival could put in the hands of locals who rent out their extra space. In 2019, Virginia Beach and Portsmouth alone reeled in $43,000 during the weekend of the inaugural festival.
“These high-demand, peak travel times, like for the Virginia Beach area over the music festival will result in significant income for Hosts and local communities– and these big events can offer a great starting point for many prospective Hosts,” Haven Thorn, a spokesperson for the site, said in an email.
Thorn also noted that income for new hosts across the board rose 34% from 2019 to 2021, up to $1.8 billion in total.
Already we’re seeing listings balloon in price for the weekend of SITW as owners seek to exploit the influx of attendees and the prices they’re willing to pay. Many local hotels are also raising their prices significantly for that weekend, with several already reporting they were booked the day the festival was announced.
For Airbnb rentals, a cottage at the Old Beacon, which sleeps six, normally costs $480. It’s going for $2,000 a night that weekend. Then there’s the Old Salt, which sleeps four. It normally goes for $260 a night, but you’d have to shell out $1,800 to get a good night’s sleep there.
If money is no object to you, you might be interested in staying at The Oasis. It features a large backyard, with plenty of room to hang out around the pool. It costs $4,000 a night (normally a little over $2,000), though it sleeps 12, so your other friends of means can help share the cost.
If you’re interested in renting a property, or a portion of one you reside in, Airbnb says they’ve recently updated their onboarding process to make it easier to get started. More information can be found at airbnb.com/host.
Before you log on, however, be sure to check the ordinances and regulations put in your local municipality. Each one of the seven cities have different rules. In Virginia Beach, for instance, most owners need to obtain a conditional use permit before they can make their property available.
In Norfolk, you may need to obtain a conditional use permit or zoning permit, as well as a business license. Other requirements such as paved parking for guests may need to be met as well.