By the second day of Sommo Fest 2026, the overall grounds felt much more populated than they were the day before. The day’s music lineup consisted of indie folk, pop, and nostalgia before eventually arriving at Sombr, an artist whose rapid ascent has made him one of the most talked-about young names in alternative pop.

The most interesting thing about day two was that the music never seemed confined to the stages. On Friday, many spent the day camping the main stage to have a close spot for Twenty One Pilots, but those who attended the second day chose to take advantage of the full array of activities that the festival had to offer, such as a wide range of food and vendors. Groups were staking out patches of grass, drifting between performances, and I chatted with many different staff members who were in awe of Twenty One Pilots’ performance the day before, having previously known little about the band. Saturday at the fest felt more authentic to the core values of the festival, a place to celebrate local talent and local food.

At one point, I found myself at the Culinary Stage, which I didn’t have a chance to visit on Friday, watching a surprise appearance by Sofia Camara — an artist I had already seen perform on the main stage. I also had the pleasure of catching a surprise appearance by Canadian singer and rapper SonReal before that. At Sommo, food is part of the programming rather than an overthought. The festival’s Culinary Stage hosts live cooking demonstrations, conversations and tastings, while vendors throughout the grounds lean into the food culture of Prince Edward Island. Although the food was pricey (I’m looking at you, $80 pizza!), it felt like a much better use of my money to support local chefs and authentic Prince Edward Island cuisine, rather than to spend my money on a quick, greasy bite like I do at other fests.

Flower Face was the first performance of the day I caught on the Nova 7 Sandbar Stage, which felt fitting as the musician is based in Montreal (so am I!) The project, led by Ruby McKinnon, is music described as goth-folk and dreampop, and it carries darkness, tension and emotional
lyrics that felt as if they were more intimate than to be heard in an open, music festival. But the response was welcomed, and attendees passing by to check out what the grounds had to offer couldn’t help but stay for a couple songs. Although the performance itself didn’t have much spectacle, I felt it gave the audience an opportunity to feel the emotion in the words sung without distraction.

I was lucky to catch Edgehill as my second performance of the day, also at the Nova 7 Sandbar
Stage! Sommo Fest was the first stop of the American trio’s Moving Out tour, and their set was a great way to amp up the energy of day 2. Their music is described as “high-energy” with“guitar-driven anthems,” and the band was able to pull a steady crowd despite it being one of the earlier sets of the day. Their music has a strong sense of nostalgia in the sound, giving the band a “friends playing music in a garage” feel, in all the best ways! Truly one of my favourite surprise finds of the weekend!

Sofia Camara was one of the day’s most memorable artists, precisely because I got to see her twice, once on the Colliding Tides main stage and the other a bit later in the day on the Culinary Stage. On the main stage, Camara proved exactly why she was one of the weekend’s highlights. Her pop songwriting has an emotional directness that felt so natural in a festival setting, and she performed with the confidence of an artist who knows both her talent and the audience she’s performing to. Her 2026 single “The Last Encounter,” for example, focuses on the realization that a relationship has reached its end, framing heartbreak through acceptance rather than usual sadness, a unique perspective you don’t hear often in breakup songs. Later in the day as I was heading out to capture some photos of the festival grounds, I happened to walk past the Culinary Stage and, to my surprise, Sofia Camara was there as a surprise guest. Suddenly there was no giant stage separating the artist from the audience, and it was a truly unique experience to see the more human side of performers that many don’t get to see. Sommo Fest describes the stage as a space for chefs and personalities to cook, talk and share food with festivalgoers, and I thought it was a very smart touch to have surprise artist guests throughout the weekend to gather more interest and let attendees experience a truly unique space of the fest.

After, I headed back over to the Nova 7 Sandbar Stage to catch Canadian singer-songwriter, Jade LeMac. I was fortunate enough to catch two of her performances in the last 2 years in Montreal, but it was my first time getting to see her perform at a festival! Although LeMac has an easy stage-presence and never has an issue commanding an audience, it was a special experience to see her capture an audience in real time, with many viewers coming in after a song or two to “check it out” and choosing to stay for the whole show, rather than buying a ticket because they already knew who she was. Performing hits like her most popular song “Constellations,”, Jade LeMac danced and spun on every inch of the stage with a smile on her face the whole time. She was into the performance, and so was the audience and both energies fed into each other, leading to one of the highlight performances of the weekend.

By the time Wild Rivers took the main stage late Saturday afternoon, the crowd was already beginning to gather in anticipation of the day’s headliner, Sombr. Rather than simply filling time before the evening’s biggest set, however, the Toronto indie-folk group gave festivalgoers plenty of reason to stay engaged, delivering a warm, danceable performance that felt perfectly suited to the ocean atmosphere.

Wild Rivers, made up of Devan Glover, Khalid Yassein and Andrew Oliver, have built their sound around a blend of indie folk, pop and rock. The band has steadily expanded that sound since forming in Toronto, eventually earning a Juno nomination for Breakthrough Artist of the Year in 2023, and Adult Alternative Album of the Year in 2025, and touring alongside artists including The Chicks and Noah Kahan.

That connection to Kahan was particularly relevant at Sommo Fest, as he performed at the festival during its second edition in 2024. Many festival attendees of that year, or fans of Noah Kahan in general found themselves particularly enjoying Wild Rivers set, as they have a similar feel to their music.

The group’s breakout song, “Thinking ’Bout Love,” was an obvious highlight to the set. Originally released in 2019 and later reimagined with Wrabel, the song became a breakthrough moment for the band, helping introduce their harmonies and bittersweet songwriting to a much wider audience. Their more recent material demonstrated how much the band’s sound has continued to develop. Their 2024 releases Never Better and Better Now explore different shades of the group’s identity, with Better Now described by the band as a moodier companion to Never Better. Those songs gave the performance a broader emotional range, balancing reflective songwriting with the dance-worthy energy that kept people moving. It’s hard not to dance when the artists themselves are having such a good time on stage!

Wild Rivers may not have been the day’s headliner, but their Sommo appearance demonstrated the value of a festival’s supporting stages and earlier sets. For returning Sommo Fest attendees and Noah Kahan fans, the performance offered a welcome connection to an artist they’d encountered before. For those discovering the band for the first time, it was an easy invitation into their world.

With Sombr still to come, Wild Rivers left the Sommo Fest crowd in exactly the right mood: energized, familiar with the music, and ready for what the rest of the night had in store! One of the best parts of music festivals is hearing a song you have not heard in years and suddenly remembering exactly where you were when you first heard it. That sense of nostalgia was impossible to miss during Natasha Bedingfield’s performance at Sommo Fest, where a visibly excited crowd came ready to revisit the songs that helped define their years of growing up.

From the opening moments of her sub-headlining set, Bedingfield quickly proved that the appeal of those familiar hits has not faded. Her vocals were strong, confident and powerful, bringing a sense of energy to the stage that set the tone for the rest of the evening. The roar of cheers during the first chorus of “Pocketful of Sunshine” was deafening, with fans recognizing lyrics and screaming them out instantly. Bedingfield’s performance was exactly the type to be made for a festival stage.

“Unwritten” naturally became one of the evening’s defining moments, and was a personal highlight of mine as well. Hearing thousands of festivalgoers respond to it together gave the performance an even stronger sense of community. I took the moment to video call my friends who were unable to attend the festival so that we could experience the song together, and to me, that is what festivals are truly about; sharing a love of music with those closest to you.

What made the set particularly enjoyable, though, was Bedingfield herself. She appeared genuinely happy to be onstage, embracing the energy of the festival and seeming to savour each moment, and all it did was unite the crowd further into the performance. There was no sense that she was simply moving through the setlist; instead, she approached the material with the energy of an artist still excited to perform it.

Ultimately, Bedingfield’s Sommo Fest performance succeeded because it brought together two things festival audiences often crave: the comfort of songs they already know and the excitement of experiencing them live.

Finally, it was time for the festival’s closing performance. For an artist still establishing himself, Sombr has already grown a successfully dedicated fanbase, with many who spent the day camped out at the main stage for a close spot. That connection was impossible to miss during his performance at Sommo Fest, where handmade artwork, posters and enthusiastic fans filled the crowd.

His performance was loud and theatrical in all the best ways, with his intro being him driving to the stage in a car, and throwing in a quick push-up workout before his 14-song set. Sombr’s performance demonstrated just how quickly his music has resonated with listeners. Perhaps the most memorable example of that connection came when Sombr turned his attention toward a group of fans who might not immediately fit the stereotypical image of a young pop audience.

Spotting a group of older women wearing “Gen X Sombaddie” (“Sombodies” being the name given to the Sombr fanbase) shirts, Sombr took the moment to appreciate them and their dedication. It was a small gesture, but one that captured something significant about his appeal. His music may be new, but its themes of relationships, heartbreak and growing up are hardly new topics, let alone topics confined to one generation. Seeing fans from an older generation proudly embrace the “Sombaddie” identity was a reminder that relating and finding comfort in music doesn’t have an age limit.

One trait of Sombr’s performances that I find particularly endearing is his ability to make each show feel special. During “back to friends,” Sombr took a flag and wrote “Prince Edward Island” across it. He then ran along the barricades with the flag, stopping to hug and high-five fans along the way. In a festival environment where the physical distance between performer and audience usually breaks that feeling of intimacy and connection, Sombr ensures his
performance does the opposite. On a small note, I appreciated how he took the time to write out the full province name, rather than a quick “PEI”, its common abbreviation. His newest song “My Body Isn’t Ready” was performed emotionally and vulnerably, and left many fans in tears who could connect to its themes of insecurity, particularly in a relationship.

There is something exciting about watching an artist at the beginning of their career, particularly one who had a sudden rise to fame. The songs are already reaching people, but the relationship between the artist and his audience still feels personal rather than distant. At Sommo Fest, he embraced that intimacy, making time for the fans dedicated enough to wait at the stage all day for him. Although I was fortunate enough to catch Sombr’s Osheaga performance as well, I find it lacked a certain intimacy due to the festival’s size that was felt much more strongly during Sommo Fest, a theme I felt myself experiencing often throughout the weekend!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my first year at Sommo Fest. From getting to see my favourite band, Twenty One Pilots, to taking the plane for the first time on my own to a place I haven’t been before, every experience felt new to me. It was wonderful to see a festival stay so true to its values, with every attraction such as local vendors and cuisine having an important role rather than being placed there as a cash grab. One thing I appreciated most when visiting the merch stand was seeing discounted merch from previous years. The designs are truly adorable and well thought-out, and it was nice to see a festival promote sustainability and try to limit waste as much as possible. It was enjoyable as well to experience a festival that felt more slow-paced than I was used to. Everyone I met was open to chatting, and it was easy to navigate without ever experiencing huge crowds that barely moved or lines that took hours to get through.

Of course, a main highlight as well was the display of varied talent on the lineup. It felt cohesive, but unique in a way that a fan of any genre could find a new favourite artist. I also appreciated the majority of the lineup being Canadian. Osheaga and FEQ do have their fair share of Canadian artists, but it felt special to see so much unrecognized talent featured on such a big stage.

I’m already looking forward to the 2027 lineup, and I hope to see you there!

Check out some of our favourite photos of Day 2 or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!

All Photo Credit: Ashley Bellam

There is something so different about experiencing a music festival in Prince Edward Island. Maybe it’s the feeling of the next person you meet being even nicer than the first, or noticing you’re the only car on the road despite the large number of people visiting the island. Or maybe it’s simply the feeling of watching some of the biggest names in current music headline such a small stage to a smaller audience than usual, and yet still perform like it’s their biggest gig to date.

On the first day of Sommo Fest 2026, its fourth-edition, the contrast between usual festivals was impossible to miss.

Held in Cavendish on the Island’s North Shore, Sommo Fest has quickly established itself as one of Prince Edward Island’s signature music events. Launched in 2023, the festival was built around a combination of Canadian music, food and drink, and bringing internationally recognized performers such as Hozier, Noah Kahan and Greta Van Fleet to the same part of the island that has long been associated with summer tourism and outdoor music. The 2026 edition ran from September 11 and 12 at the Cavendish Beach Events Centre, with Twenty One Pilots headlining Friday and Sombr headlining Saturday. For anyone unfamiliar with Prince Edward Island, Cavendish can feel like an unlikely place for a festival of this scale. PEI is Canada’s smallest province, but its reputation extends far beyond its size. It is an island known for its coastline, agricultural landscape, seafood, tourism and deep cultural connections. It is also famously associated with Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables, whose fictional world helped turn this part of the island into an international tourist destination. I stayed in two different cottages during my time there, and both had Anne of Green Gables art and books as a highlight of their decor!

As for the music, Cavendish has been a destination for large-scale outdoor concerts for years. The nearby Cavendish Beach Music Festival helped establish the area as a popular concert destination in Atlantic Canada, transforming what was once farmland into a massive outdoor festival site and drawing in thousands of country music fans over the years. Sommo Fest feels like a continuation of that tradition, but with a much different musical identity.

Rather than centering itself around a single genre, the festival’s lineup jumps between indie, folk, rock, pop, blues and alternative music. That multi-genreism was especially apparent on day one, when the schedule moved from Canadian singer-songwriters to cinematic country-pop, Icelandic blues rock and, finally, wrapped the day up with one of the world’s most theatrical alternative rock bands, Twenty One Pilots. As a Canadian myself, I felt a huge sense of pride to see so many Canadian names on the lineup, as compared to Osheaga for example, who features a predominately American lineup, despite it being one of Canada’s biggest music festivals.

The morning of the festival, I was up and at the grounds bright and early to ensure my friends got barricade for Twenty One Pilots. Although we were the first ones there, we were soon followed by many more fans shivering from the cold, ocean air, but looking amazing in themed outfits. Once the festival gates opened at 12pm, the run for barricade began and the day had officially started!

The first of the artists I caught was Kellie Loder at the main Colliding Tides stage, whose early-afternoon set provided a calm and intimate beginning to what would eventually become a massive night. The singer-songwriter from Newfoundland has built a reputation around emotionally direct songwriting, and they have even landed themself a Juno nomination and an ECMA award! At this point in the day, the audience has not yet become the enormous crowd it would eventually become. However, the main stage was unusually packed for this hour, and although it was evident many were only there for Twenty One Pilots, the crowd still cheered and swayed to the music, allowing the performance to feel intimate and respectful, despite it being held at a large festival. It was also fitting that a Canadian roots artist would be one of the first voices of the day. Sommo may have been building toward an American headliner to wrap up the day, but the festival’s identity was not at all lost. There was a distinctly Canadian — and, more specifically, Atlantic Canadian — selection of artists running through the lineup that kept hold of the core values of Sommo Fest.

By the time Baby Nova took the main stage, the festival had begun to feel fully awake. Baby Nova’s style is an intriguing blend between country, pop and alternative songwriting. Born and raised in Halifax before moving to Montreal, Toronto and eventually Los Angeles, she brings together influences from all across North America. Her appearance was particularly interesting to Sommo Fest because she already had a connection to the region, having performed in the Cavendish area roughly a decade earlier during the Cavendish Beach Music Festival era. Now, returning under her stage-name, Baby Nova, she arrived with a new musical identity and a debut album, Shhugar, released earlier in 2026.

Baby Nova‘s music has a witty feel to her songwriting, with songs that touch on the themes of romance, self-destruction, humour and vulnerability. It was truly a perfect mid-day set to help pick up the energy of the day as fans began to settle into their spots for the night! Songs including “Jesus, Close Your Eyes,” “Broke Bitch Boogie,” “Death Wish” and “Too Pretty for Buffalo” showed the range of her sound, while the performance also left room for storytelling and interaction with the crowd. She even used the wind — an unavoidable feature of a September day on the Island — as an opportunity to connect with the audience, through laughter and jokes over how the wind was being picked up through her microphone.
Baby Nova’s set was a wonderful switch of energy for the day. If Loder had opened the afternoon with intimate songwriting, Baby Nova pushed things toward something stranger and more contemporary.

Also on the Colliding Tides main stage, Leith Ross followed, bringing another change in tone. The Winnipeg-based singer-songwriter has become known for intimate indie-folk songwriting, with songs that feel deeply personal. Their mid-day set brought a unique challenge of trying to captivate an audience who is growing restless and tired waiting for the headliner. Ross seemed to have no trouble finding the answer; through the lyrics themselves. Ross has a knack for writing in a way that makes a large audience feel like it has temporarily become a place full of individuals. Through powerful vocals and mesmerizing instrumentals, the crowd, despite many not knowing the words, could feel themselves becoming a fan as they swayed to the music and found connection in the words being sung. Despite the audience growing larger, Leith Ross was still able to make you feel like they were singing directly to you. They performed songs from their 2025 album “I Can See The Future”, such as “I Will” and “Grieving,” and closed the set with “We’ll Never Have Sex,” a fan favourite from their album “To Learn, More.”

By the time Down With Webster took the main stage, the festival crowd had spent much of the day settling into slower, more laid-back performances. Their arrival changed that mood almost immediately.

The Torontonian band brought exactly the kind of burst of energy the crowd had been waiting for, turning the atmosphere from relaxed to electric. That energy was evident from the opening moments of the set, with each band member taking the time to have their own “intro” moment to the stage. Down With Webster did not need much time to win over the crowd; the audience was already primed for a high-energy performance, having spent all day waiting for Twenty One Pilots. Songs that have remained staples of their catalogue became communal moments, with longtime fans singing along and responding to every familiar hook. The band frequently had the crowd make their “W” logo with their hands, earning lots of smiles and cheers, and kept the audience engaged by frequently getting the crowd to jump and sway their hands.

Opening with “One in a Million” anyone who listened to Canadian radio when they were younger instantly recognized the band. The same happened with their performance of “Chills.” It was the kind of performance that demonstrated why Down With Webster’s music has maintained such a devoted following: the songs are catchy, and they invite an audience to participate rather than simply listen.

“Whoa Is Me” provided another standout moment. Hearing the classic performed in front of a festival crowd gave the song a renewed sense of fun. Fans knew the words, and the set truly felt like a party with your friends rather than just another festival set.

There was also something fitting about seeing such an iconic Canadian band on the lineup at Sommo Fest. Down With Webster has been a known name in Canadian music for such a long time. For some fans, the performance was an opportunity to revisit songs that had been part of their musical lives for years; for others, it was a chance to experience the band’s live energy for the first time. It was a great mid-day set to begin to ramp up the energy for the acts ahead.

Few artists on the lineup were better suited to the transition from daylight to night than KALEO. The band from Iceland, home to the Midnight Sun, brought a completely different atmosphere to Cavendish as the sun began to disappear and the temperature dropped even lower than it was during the day. Frontman Jökull “JJ” Júliusson has one of those voices that seems almost too big for Sommo Fest’s “small” main stage. KALEO‘s music has always carried a sense of place. Although the band is now an international act, there is something that felt so right about its combination of blues, rock and folk on a Prince Edward Island stage, where the setting sun and ocean in the background gave the music the feeling that this was exactly where it was supposed to be performed. The band opened with “Broken Bones,” before moving through songs including “Still No Good” and “Bloodline.” Júliusson moved between acoustic, hollow-body and electric guitars, while harmonica added another layer to the band’s already distinctive sound.

And then came “Way Down We Go.” As KALEO played the song, the crowd took over large portions of it. People who had spent the afternoon drifting between stages suddenly realized “Hey, I know this song!” and became united by the same chorus. It was one of the first moments when Sommo felt completely transformed from an afternoon, relaxing festival into a night of community and energy.

Finally, it was time for Twenty One Pilots to take the stage. Even the quickest glance around the festival would prove that’s what the majority of the crowd was here for, with fans dressed in red and yellow, and wearing merch, tape, paint, and bandanas to represent the band. A fun memory of mine was when a security guard I frequently chatted with throughout the day came up to me and asked “What’s up with the tape and the black paint on everyone’s neck?” How do you explain over a decade of lore to someone who knows nothing about the artist! Their Sommo performance was particularly significant because it marked the band’s first Canadian appearance east of Quebec. For a festival in Atlantic Canada to land an act of that scale was notable, and the response from the audience reflected it. I met fans all throughout the day who had flown from different Canadian provinces, and even different countries to attend this show, as well as many local fans who were so happy to finally be on Twenty One Pilots’ map.

As the iconic “What’s your ETA?” audio played, to which fans chanted back “2 minutes!” a reference to their song “Midwest Indigo” and an indicator that the performance was soon to start, the buzzing in the air was truly electric. From the first piano note of “Overcompensate”, the cheers were deafening. Drummer, Josh Dun, took the stage sporting merch from their “Scaled and Icy” era, and as lead singer Tyler Joseph did his signature jump over the piano, the show was officially on! One thing that makes a Twenty One Pilots performance unique is their ability to use every inch of the stage. From multiple crowd stands during “The Contract,” “Rawfear” and most notably “Trees,” to Josh Dun performing half of “Drum Show” on an elevated platform (not before showing off his “Sommo” shorts while climbing up!), there truly isn’t a bad view at one of their shows.

Rather than treating each song as an isolated moment, Twenty One Pilots moved rapidly between songs, using transitions to fit a huge 20 song setlist (and 2 short mashed-up covers!) into an hour and a half performance that seemed to fly by. “Shy Away,” “Heathens” and “Next Semester” flowed together, while the band also incorporated covers. “Stolen Dance” was
performed mashed up with “One Way,” “Believe” was mashed up with “Tally,” and they played their full length cover of “Seven Nation Army.”
Although there were a few things missing from the performance, such as the iconic “Jumpsuit” jacket and “lore shirt” and a crowd stand during “Ride,” plus the band being a bit less chatty than usual, the set was so polished that you had to have a careful eye to notice.

Whereas most of the day’s sets specialized on Sommo Fest’s ability to make a large festival feel intimate, Twenty One Pilots did the opposite. They aim to ensure that every single person in the crowd feels seen, and like they are an important piece to the performance. As previously mentioned, “Drum Show” was performed from an elevated tower so that everyone could see. “Rawfear” was performed with both a crowd stand and a barricade walk, where Joseph took items from fans including Canadian flag shaped sunglasses and princess tiaras, and proceeded to high-five the front row. During “Ride,” Joseph invited a security guard named Connor with a classic Canadian accent to perform the second half of the song with him, earning many laughs and cheers from the crowd.

At the end of a long night, the starting slow piano notes of “Trees” began. The band’s traditional closer has become a staple in their performance, bringing many fans to tears, and many rushing in the morning to secure a spot by the tape indicator where they perform a crowd stand during the song. The song truly feels like a celebration of life, and seeing it performed in such a beautiful, nature-filled location surrounded by a crowd smaller than their usual made it one of my favourite performances of the song I’ve had the chance to see. The song ended with them hitting drums on platforms held by the crowd, with red confetti flying in the air and fireworks being set off to close the night.

As Twenty One Pilots took their final bow and said their closing line: “We’re Twenty One Pilots and so are you,” the crowd cheered, took photos by the stage with their friends, and collected confetti as a keepsake of the night.

Sommo has positioned itself as a festival built around discovery as much as recognition. Its organizers describe the event as a celebration of music, food and drink, with the lineup intentionally combining major international artists with emerging performers and Canadian talent.

Day one demonstrated exactly why that method works. Although many fans raced to the main stage from the second gates opened, it gave them the opportunity to experience a full day of new music, and discover new favourite artists they might’ve overlooked. That is exactly what music festivals are all about!

Check out some of our favourite photos of the day below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!

All Photo Credit: Ashely Bellam