UPDATE: The City of Virginia Beach announced it has decided to extend the closure of Rudee Loop South an extra day to allow BEACH IT! crews to safely and efficiently load out heavy equipment from this weekend’s festival.

The following areas will be closed through Tuesday, June 27:

• 2^nd Street Connector
• Rudee Loop Parking Lot
• 4^th Street Municipal Lot
• 3^rd Street Gravel Lot

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Previous coverage:

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – The city of Virginia Beach decided to secure Rudee Loop south, including the beach and Grommet Island Park, due to safety concerns.

It said Thursday that “with large equipment in that area because of the festival buildout, organizers want to be proactive and keep residents and visitors safe. The city of Virginia Beach works hard to minimize impacts on residents, neighborhoods and businesses near festivals and events every summer at the Oceanfront.”

The main entrance for the BEACH IT! festival and the box office are near 8th Street on the beach, and rideshare drop off and pickup for the festival is at 9th Street.

What’s allowed at BEACH IT!

As festival goers get ready to hit the beach for Virginia Beach’s “BEACH IT!” country music festival on June 23-25, organizers are making sure you know what you can and cannot bring into the festival.

Festival organizers said Tuesday that chairs will now be allowed inside the BEACH IT! festival venue. It said those who bring a chair “must set up inside our designated chair zone for safety purposes.” Low-profile beach chairs, bag chairs or small inflatable couches are allowed. However, no chairs are allowed inside the VIP area.

The city of Virginia Beach is encouraging festivalgoers to sign up for text updates and emergency notifications during the festival by texting BEACHIT to 67283. It also asks that people visit here to learn more about navigating the Oceanfront during the festival.

Organizer posted on the festival’s Facebook page a list of what guests will be allowed to bring inside the venue and what they should leave home. The information regarding what you can pack is listed below.

NOT ALLOWED at BEACH IT!

• No professional cameras, selfie sticks, or tripods
• No recording equipment besides phones
• No bags larger than 12″ x 12″ x 6″
• No illegal substances or drug paraphernalia
• No grills
• No alcohol, beverages, or glass bottles
• No pets or companion animals
• No unauthorized fliers or samples
• No fireworks
• No flags or totem poles
• No weapons of any kind
• No blankets
• No drones
• No balls, balloons, inflatables or laser pens
• No aerosol cans, spray paint, sharpies or makers
• No tents of umbrellas
• No toys, squirt guns, glitter or mylar
• No hard shell coolers
• No IPads or tablets
• No skates, bikes, skateboards, scooters, hoverboards, wagons, or any other similar vehicle
• No confederate flag

ALLOWED items at BEACH IT!

• Chairs
• Binoculars
• Non-professional pocket cameras
• One small snack bag (up to one gallon)
• Personal beach towels
• Empty reusable water bottles, Yeti’s and CamelBak’s up to 1.5 liters or smaller
• Clear, plastic, vinyl or PVC bags or hip packs up to 12″ x 12″ x 6″
• Small clutch bags around the size of a hand (6″ x 9″) which do not have to be clear
• Service animals
• Sunglasses, hats, and e-cigarettes
• Non-aerosol sunscreens and bug sprays
• Strollers being used by a child
• Prescription medicines

For more information about the festival, visit BEACH IT’s website.