The University Union Board and the Bureau of Cultural Affairs at Western Illinois University will host WestFest 2024 Wednesday, May 1 in the University Union Grand Ballroom. Doors open at 6 p.m. and entertainment will begin at 7 p.m.

This year’s entertainment will include headliner Corey Kent and special guest Alana Springsteen.

Kent started his music career early, taking the stage at age 11 as the lead singer for a touring Western Swing band. Kent hit early milestones opening for Roy Clark and The Oak Ridge Boys. In 2020, Kent released his “From the West” LP, which garnered 3.5+ million aggregate streams and set the stage for his next chapter. His song “Gold” and fan favorite “Ain’t My Day has nearly 15 million streams combined. In December of 2021, Corey released his sophomore album, ’21, to an overwhelmingly positive reception and landed on multiple playlists across streaming platforms with his single “There’s Always Next Year.” Both were released via Combustion Music. On March 4, 2022, Corey released his smash hit single “Wild As Her” and signed his deal with Sony Music Nashville and their RCA Nashville Imprint. Now, touring on the road with over 100 shows a year, he has made his way into the country music scene.

Springsteen is a 21-year-old emerging artist focused on storytelling. After learning to play guitar at seven, the Virginia Beach native began penning her songs at nine and soon started trekking to Nashville to co-write with industry heavyweights. In the tradition of powerhouse female Country stars, she grew up, she wrote the EP History of Breaking Up (part one) and now part two dropping soon. The song has surpassed 51 million streams and more than 5,000 playlists. She is touring heavily with performances at Faster Horses, TidalWave, CMA Fest and many more.