Keith Urban to headline Cavendish music festival

Country music star Keith Urban is returning to Prince Edward Island next summer to headline the Cavendish Beach Music Festival.

The four-time Grammy award winner last performed at the festival in 2010. Taylor Swift also headlined that year.

Kira Isabella, last year's Canadian Country Music Association Female Artist of the Year, will open for Urban. Other top acts include North Carolina's Eric Church, who has four hit albums under his belt, chart-topper Brantley Gilbert from Georgia, and the Mavericks.

Tickets go on sale Friday.

The festival started six years ago. Last year there was a significant hiccup when Hurricane Arthur forced Blake Shelton and Darius Rucker to cancel.

Those who bought tickets for that night only received refunds. Festival president Jeff Squires says people who held three-day passes for this past summer's festival will get an email Wednesday evening detailing a ticket offer.

Weekend ticket holders for 2015 will also be invited to a free tailgate party Thursday night. Squires says he heard from people interested in starting the weekend on Thursday and that should help ease congestion at the gates on Friday, when the festival usually kicks off.

Roughly 70,000 people buy tickets to the shows, and Squires says the festival helps the P.E.I. economy to the tune of more than $12 million a year.