Mumford & Sons headlining new Sommo Festival in Cavendish in July

Mumford & Sons and Maggie Rogers are two of the headlining acts coming to Cavendish this summer for the new Sommo Festival July 14-15, according to the lineup announced Friday by Whitecap Entertainment.

Also on the bill are Vance Joy, Lord Huron, Charlotte Cardin, and 18 other musical acts. 

Whitecap Entertainment is billing the new festival as a "music and culinary festival." In addition to musical acts, it will also feature chefs Gail Simmons, Matt Moore, and Islanders Adam Loo and Ilona Daniel.

The event will take place on the same grounds as the Cavendish Beach Music Festival — and just one week later — something that has drawn mixed reaction from area residents and business owners.

The council of the Cavendish area resort municipality approved the festival Wednesday at a special meeting, after originally voting against it earlier in the week. But some business owners in the area aren't happy with the decision.  

Cavendish Maples Cottages owner Tyson MacInnis said Thursday he was "extremely shocked" and disappointed with the council's decision to approve the Sommo Festival. 

"Firstly to revote when they had already voted on this matter. And then to change their decision ... secondly, the proposed concert is counter to the council special event guidelines that's meant to protect the family market that's so important to our business," he said. 

"I have no idea why councillors that are representatives of our community would go against the overwhelming community feedback against the concert." 

Date is 'problematic'

The mayor of the resort municipality, Matthew Jelley, said the councillors all felt they voted the right way in the end. 

"I think now the focus is on the promoter to do the best job they can and I think the community to continue to figure out how we can continue to host great events in the community," said Jelley.

The CEO of Whitecap Entertainment, Ben Murphy, acknowledged the date of the festival is "problematic" and said they would be open to changing it in future years.