Today, award-winning event company Whitecap Entertainment is giving fans an early Christmas gift by announcing that Sommo Festival will return to Canada’s favourite coastal resort community September 13-14, 2025.
Celebrating the best that Atlantic Canada has to offer, the two-day extravaganza will see food and music fans return to Cavendish this September for what has become one of the most anticipated events of the summer.
Adding to the excitement, Whitecap Entertainment has announced its first headliner for the 2025 event: GRAMMY-nominated superstar, Hozier.
“We’re thrilled to announce that Sommo Festival is returning to Cavendish this September,” shared Ben Murphy, CEO of Whitecap Entertainment. “When we asked the fans who they would most like to see in year three the resounding response was Hozier – and we can’t wait for his Sommo debut next summer. I would strongly recommend getting tickets before they are gone because we expect next year to be our biggest year yet!”
Diamond-certified Irish singer-songwriter, Hozier will be stepping onto the Sommo mainstage for his first-ever Atlantic Canada performance next September.
Hozier has amassed over 14-billion streams worldwide and sold over 1 million tickets globally – selling out legendary venues such as The Hollywood Bowl and Madison Square Garden.
He has remained at the top of the charts since his 13x Platinum generational anthem, “Take Me To Church” became one of the Top 30 “Most-Streamed Songs on Spotify” and has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the music industry (Mavis Staples, Annie Lennox, Tori Kelly, Maren Morris and MEDUZA).
With more artist and culinary announcements to come in the New Year, fans of live music and culinary delights are encouraged to sign up for the newsletter at sommofest.com and follow along on socials to get first access to festival news.
Tickets for Sommo Festival 2025 are available now.
Earlier this week, Whitecap Entertainment released its annual economic impact numbers.
With a mission of delivering exceptional experiences to visitors of its annual events, the company hosted 90,000 attendees across both festivals in 2024, driving a direct impact of over $30 million dollars to the Island’s economy.
In addition, Bell Presents Cavendish Beach Music Festival (CBMF) and Sommo Festival supported over 1,000 staff and saw the municipality extend its shoulder season, providing numerous small businesses the opportunity to drastically increase year-over-year income.
“Our desire to support PEI’s small business community has always been at the forefront when making decisions surrounding our annual festivals,” shared Ben Murphy, CEO of Whitecap Entertainment.
“Every year, our fans travel from across North America, not only for the festivals but also for the exceptional hospitality they experience from every sector on the Island. We’re so proud of the impact our festivals continue to deliver to our local hospitality partners and we’re excited to expand this impact in years to come.”
2024 also saw Whitecap Entertainment extend the Island’s shoulder season with its first September festival dates.
Sommo Festival played a crucial role in extending PEI’s shoulder season by hosting more than 36,000 music fans in Cavendish over two days this past fall.
Moving from July into the fall, Sommo Festival increased its overall economic impact by over 50% from 2023, showcasing the top musicians and culinary global talent (Noah Kahan, Maren Morris, Greta Van Fleet, Old Time Hawkey and Mary Berg, among others) to the seaside town for the only festival of its kind in Canada.
“Seeing Cavendish’s tourist season extended well into September this year was incredible,” said Lee Brammer, Mayor of the Resort Municipality of Stanley Bridge, Hope River, Bayview, Cavendish and North Rustico.
“Without question, CBMF is a well-established and solid anchor event in our Tourism season and by moving Sommo into the fall, we have effectively extended our busy season. This has morphed a historically slow time for our business community into an opportunity for growth with all restaurants, accommodations and attractions seeing significant increases in 2024. We hope that these increases will grow year-over-year as Sommo Festival continues to grow in popularity.”
“We are so pleased to see the great economic impact Prince Edward Island has enjoyed, thanks to the Cavendish Beach Music Festival and Sommo Festival,” said Zack Bell, Minister of Fisheries, Tourism, Sport and Culture.
“Both these events showcase some of the biggest names in music and have solidified the Island as a premiere destination for world-class entertainment. On behalf of the province, I give a huge thank you to all the organizers and volunteers for all their hard work and for extending our tourism season into the fall months.”
With fans of CBMF patiently awaiting the arrival of Shania Twain, Tyler Hubbard and Lainey Wilson next July and announcements for Sommo Festival just around the corner, Canada’s favourite coastal resort community is set to deliver yet another incredible summer in 2025.
“Our goal is to bring world-class entertainment to our world class fans here in Atlantic Canada all while supporting the local community that makes it all possible,” said Murphy.
“I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together next year.”