The Cavendish Beach Music Festival is a multi-day music festival

Music festival

A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...

 held annually in Cavendish

Cavendish, Prince Edward Island

Cavendish is a Canadian unincorporated rural area in the township of Lot 23, Queens County, Prince Edward Island. Its primary industries are tourism and agriculture. Cavendish is the largest seasonal resort area on Prince Edward Island...

, Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. The town of Cavendish is 39 kilometres (24.2 mi) northwest from the capital city of Charlottetown. The festival has been held since 2009. The festival features both local artists and major recording artists.

Since its first year, the festival has attracted major artists such as Tim McGraw

Tim McGraw

Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the...

, Reba McEntire

Reba McEntire

Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...

, Keith Urban

Keith Urban

Keith Lionel Urban is a New Zealand-born Australian, country music singer, songwriter and guitarist whose commercial success has been mainly in the United States and Australia. Urban was born in New Zealand and began his career in Australia at an early age...

, Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift

Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...

 and Lady Antebellum

Lady Antebellum

Lady Antebellum is an American country pop music group formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2006. The trio is composed of Charles Kelley , Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott .The group made its debut in 2007 as guest vocalists on Jim Brickman's single "Never Alone", before signing to Capitol...

.

Festivals

The festival has been a major boost to the local economy as businesses experienced surges in sales all over the province.

2009

In its inaugural year, the festival was a three day event attended by roughly 40,000 people and featuring headliners Tim McGraw

Tim McGraw

Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the...

, Big & Rich

Big & Rich

Big & Rich is an American country music duo composed of Big Kenny and John Rich. Both members alternate as lead vocalists and play rhythm guitar...

, and Reba McEntire

Reba McEntire

Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...

. Other artists included Paul Brandt

Paul Brandt

Paul Rennée Belobersycky is a Canadian country music artist, known professionally as Paul Brandt. Growing up in Calgary, he was a pediatric RN at the time of his big break...

, Doc Walker

Doc Walker

Doc Walker is a country music group from Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, Canada. They have won Canadian Country Music Awards and had radio hits with the songs "I Am Ready" and "The Show is Free" from the 2003 album Everyone Aboard. In 2001 they released the album Curve...

 and Deric Ruttan

Deric Ruttan

Deric J. Ruttan is a Canadian country music artist from Bracebridge, Ontario. Signed to Lyric Street Records in 2003, he made his chart debut on the U.S. and Canadian country music charts that year with the release of his single "When You Come Around"...

.

2010

After the success of the first year, the festival was extended to five days. Many other developments occurred, which included the construction of a permanent stage. Also added to the festival for 2010 was a day consisting local artists in a partnership with the East Coast Music Association

East Coast Music Association

The East Coast Music Association is a non-profit association that hosts an annual awards ceremony based in Atlantic Canada for music appreciation on the East Coast of Canada...

 named "ECMA at the Beach". Close to 100,000 people attended the festival.

Headliners for the 2010 festival included Keith Urban

Keith Urban

Keith Lionel Urban is a New Zealand-born Australian, country music singer, songwriter and guitarist whose commercial success has been mainly in the United States and Australia. Urban was born in New Zealand and began his career in Australia at an early age...

, Little Big Town

Little Big Town

Little Big Town is an American country music vocal group. Founded in 1998, the group has comprised the same four members since its inception: Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Jimi Westbrook, and Phillip Sweet. The quartet's musical style relies heavily on four-part vocal harmonies, with all...

, Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift

Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...

 and Lady Antebellum

Lady Antebellum

Lady Antebellum is an American country pop music group formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2006. The trio is composed of Charles Kelley , Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott .The group made its debut in 2007 as guest vocalists on Jim Brickman's single "Never Alone", before signing to Capitol...

.

Other artists included:

• Emerson Drive
  Emerson Drive
  Emerson Drive is a country music band founded in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada in 1995. The band is Brad Mates , Danick Dupelle , Mike Melancon , Dale Wallace , and David Pichette .Early on, the band found minor success in Canada, releasing two albums under the name of 12 Gauge, the first Open...
  
  
• Gloriana (band)
  Gloriana (band)
  Gloriana is an American country music group founded in 2008. It is composed of brothers Tom Gossin and Mike Gossin , as well as Rachel Reinert and, until July 2011, Cheyenne Kimball . Before the band's foundation, Kimball was the 2002 winner of the competition America's Most Talented Kid and a...
  
  
• The Road Hammers
  The Road Hammers
  The Road Hammers was a Canadian Country music group composed of Jason McCoy, Clayton Bellamy and Chris Byrne. Formed by McCoy as a side project, the trio's music is influenced by 1960s and 1970s trucker music and Southern rock. Their first self-titled album included remakes of several classic...
  
  
• Shane Yellowbird
  Shane Yellowbird
  Shane Yellowbird is a Cree-Canadian country music singer/songwriter from Hobbema, Alberta. In 2007, Yellowbird was named the Aboriginal Entertainer of the Year at the Aboriginal People's Choice Music Awards, Chevy Trucks Rising Star of the Year at the Canadian Country Music Awards, and had one of...
  
  
• Dean Brody
  Dean Brody
  Dean Brody is a Canadian country music artist. Signed to Broken Bow Records in 2008, Brody made his debut later that year with the single "Brothers"...
  
  
• Melanie Morgan
  Melanie Morgan
  Melanie Morgan is an American radio personality. She was formerly a host at KSFO in San Francisco where her husband, Jack Swanson, was the General Manager. She was recently laid off due to budget cutbacks and declining ad revenue. She has also previously worked as a reporter for KGO-TV in San...
  
  
• Gord Bamford
  Gord Bamford
  Gord Bamford is a Canadian country music singer. He has released four albums and charted more than 20 singles on the Canadian country charts from 2000 to present. This total includes 8 songs that have charted on the Canadian Hot 100 chart, which began publication in 2007.-Early years:Bamford was...
  
  
• Tara Oram
  Tara Oram
  Tara Oram is a Canadian country music recording artist and a top six finalist on the fifth season of Canadian Idol in 2007. In March 2009 Oram received an ECMA for Country Recording of the Year Award.-Early life:Oram was born in Gander, Newfoundland but moved frequently during her early years...
  
  
• Victoria Banks
  Victoria Banks
  Victoria Wenonah Banks is a singer/songwriter from Port Carling, Muskoka, Ontario, Canada. Her self-produced debut CD When You Can Fly was released on the On Ramp/EMI Canada label in April 2009...
  
  
• Ashley MacIsaac
  Ashley MacIsaac
  Ashley Dwayne MacIsaac is a Canadian professional fiddler from Cape Breton Island.His album Hi™ How Are You Today?, featuring the hit single "Sleepy Maggie", with vocals in Scottish Gaelic by Mary Jane Lamond was released in 1995...
  
  

Country music superstar Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift

Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...

 took the stage on July 10, the third day of the festival where approximately 35,000 people were in attendance.

2011

Headliners for the 2011 festival which took place from July 7 to 11 included: Trace Adkins

Trace Adkins

Tracy Darrell "Trace" Adkins is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1996 with the album Dreamin' Out Loud, released on Capitol Records Nashville. Since then, Adkins has released seven more studio albums and two Greatest Hits compilations...

, Johnny Reid

Johnny Reid

Johnny Reid is a country music artist who has charted several hit singles in Canada. Reid moved to Canada in July, 1988 when he was 13. His father, a diesel mechanic, wanted to give Reid and his brother opportunities he did not think they would have in Scotland...

, Brad Paisley

Brad Paisley

Brad Douglas Paisley is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His style crosses between traditional country music and Southern rock, and his songs are frequently laced with humor and pop culture references....

 and Toby Keith

Toby Keith

Toby Keith Covel , best known as Toby Keith, is an American country music singer-songwriter, record producer and actor. Keith released his first four studio albums — 1993's Toby Keith, 1994's Boomtown, 1996's Blue Moon and 1997's Dream Walkin, plus a Greatest Hits package for various divisions of...

.

Other artists included: Eric Church, George Canyon, Tanya Tucker, Aaron Lines, Chad Brownlee, Ricky Skaggs, Corb Lund, Doc Walker, and many more.

Awards and nominations

Year	Awards	Award	Outcome
2010	Canadian Country Music Association Canadian Country Music Association The Canadian Country Music Association was founded in 1976 as the Academy of Country Music Entertainment to organize, promote and develop a Canadian country music industry. The association changed its name to the Canadian Country Music Association in 1987.-Awards:The CCMA held the first Canadian...	Festival, Fair, or Exhibition of the Year
2011	East Coast Music Association East Coast Music Association The East Coast Music Association is a non-profit association that hosts an annual awards ceremony based in Atlantic Canada for music appreciation on the East Coast of Canada...	Event of the Year