Ben Murphy, the CEO of Whitecap Entertainment, on Sommo Festival 2025 in Cavendish, PEI, Sept. 13-14

Sommo Festival is set to deliver one of the biggest weekends of the year as seven-time GRAMMY Award winner Alanis Morissette and GRAMMY-nominated superstar Hozier headline the 2025 edition, returning September 13–14 to Prince Edward Island’s picturesque coastal resort community.

SWOMP caught up with Ben Murphy, the CEO of Whitecap Entertainment, for an interview to discuss how the third edition of the festival will be the East Coast’s most sought-after ticket of the summer, pairing world-class music with an unmatched culinary experience.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Alanis Morissette to the island this summer,” Murphy said. “Alanis is a legendary Canadian icon and we know that her fans across Atlantic Canada are going to be buzzing with excitement to see her bring her biggest hits to life on stage this September. 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.”

Alanis Morissette: a Canadian icon

Morissette will take the main stage Saturday, Sept. 13, performing hits from her extensive catalogue. Since the release of Jagged Little Pill in 1995, she has sold more than 60 million albums worldwide, earned seven GRAMMYs, 15 JUNO Awards, and was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame. In 2023, she received the inaugural Billboard Canada Icon Award. Beyond her music, Morissette is an advocate and activist, known for her work in female empowerment and wellness.

Her influence stretches beyond albums and arena tours. In 2019, Jagged Little Pill: The Musical opened on Broadway, earning 15 Tony nominations. More recently, she released her ninth studio album Such Pretty Forks In The Road (2020) and her meditation album The Storm Before The Calm (2022), followed by sold-out arena tours around the globe.

Hozier: making his Sommo debut

Diamond-certified Irish singer-songwriter Hozier will headline his first-ever Atlantic Canadian performance at Sommo. Best known for the 13x Platinum anthem Take Me To Church, which remains one of Spotify’s Top 30 most-streamed songs, Hozier has amassed more than 14 billion streams and sold over a million concert tickets worldwide, including sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden and The Hollywood Bowl.

His most recent album Unreal Unearth debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, solidifying his reputation as a globally acclaimed artist unafraid to pair poetic songwriting with social commentary.

Taste of Sommo: food and drink highlights

Sommo Festival is more than a music event — it’s a celebration of food, drink, and East Coast hospitality. This year’s Taste of Sommo will feature 31 food and beverage vendors alongside a curated menu created exclusively for the weekend.

Festival-goers can expect everything from indulgent classics to creative twists, including Crabless Cakes (hot for food), campfire Banana Boats (Old Time Hawkey), Italian Beef Sandwiches (Adam Loo), Garden Rainbow Bowls (Chef Seth Shaw), and Parmesan Wheel Pasta (Chef Kaela Barnett). East Coast favourites such as Lobster Rolls (Chef Ben Schmidt) and Donair Poutine (Big Cheese Food Truck) will also be on offer, along with gourmet cookies, Mexican Elotes, and wood-fired pizza.

VIP pass holders will have access to an exclusive menu from Chef Kyle Campbell of The Barrington Steakhouse & Oyster Bar. To complement the food, beverage experiences include a tequila bar, whisky bar, martini bar, and bubbly bar, each with non-alcoholic options.

Chefs and culinary personalities such as Old Time Hawkey, Lauren Toyota (hot for food), Andrea Buckett and Chef Michael Smith will also be featured.

A growing tradition on the East Coast

Since launching in 2023, Sommo has quickly become a marquee event in the Atlantic Canadian festival scene, produced by the team behind the award-winning Cavendish Beach Music Festival. Past performers have included Mumford & Sons, Noah Kahan, Maggie Rogers and Greta Van Fleet, while past culinary guests have featured Gail Simmons, Amanda Freitag and Mary Berg.

This year’s combination of powerhouse headliners, world-class chefs, and coastal charm is expected to draw thousands to Cavendish.

Tickets are on sale now at sommofest.com.