Gasps, screams and cheers from elated students echoed through the open doors of the Lincoln Park Student Center Room 120AB when this year’s Fest entertainers were announced.

On Friday, May 27, DePaul students are invited to see bbno$ open for 2 Chainz.

Junior Jule Cuasay, even before the announcement, was waving the LED baton that was handed to all students,jumping around andyelling in excitement.

Cuasay said he’s excited for Fest this year because he has not been to many concerts, and even when he was able to go to Fest in the past, it was canceled.

“I was supposed to go to it freshman year, but then the pandemic hit so we never got to go to it,” Cuasay said. “So this is my first year, and you know what, two years left and I’m hoping to experience it. I’ve seen stories of it, and I can’t wait to experience it.”

The last Fest concert to occur was in the spring of 2019, with the last two years being canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Judging from the noise in the room, Cuasay is not the only one who is eager to attend Fest. Freshman Leslie Coreas said she will also be attending because of the artists.

“I’m very excited,” Coreas said. “It was really unexpected. I didn’t think it was going to be [2 Chainz and bbno$].”

Coreas said she likes 2 Chainz and used to listen to him, but she hasn’t listened to his music in a while. Senior Ankit Pal, president of DePaul Activities Board (DAB), and senior Brianna Catalinotto, vice president of marketing for DAB, said the artists were chosen based on their mix of new and nostalgic music.

“Every year we try to meet the most needs of the students,” Pal said. “We’re never going to hit 100 percent, but we’re gonna get as close to the majority as possible. So we always look at what’s nostalgic, what’s new, and we try to have a good mix. I think we achieved that really well this year with a really new artist and one nostalgic artist.”

Catalinotto said the best part about having 2 Chainz as the headliner is that he is well-known; even people who don’t go out of their way to listen to 2 Chainz will recognize him from features and hit songs from the early 2010s.

“The headliner that we have selected, they are really good,” Catalinotto said. “Honestly, I had to look back at some of the music I listened to and be like, ‘Oh wow, they’re in this song.’ So everyone knows who this person is and they are familiar with the opener too.”

Other activities will be available at Fest apart from the performances. Catalinotto said there are going to be new activities and forms of entertainment from the past so even the students who have attended Fest before will find something new.

“The bubble guy is coming back,” Catalinotto said. “People in the past are fans of him. He just makes big bubbles.”

Pal said there are also going to be freshly made donuts at the event. He said DAB is aiming to recreate a summer music festival experience at this year’s Fest.

“Not every student can afford to go to Lollapalooza, or Summer Smash or Pitchfork,” Pal said. “So we really try to create the most festival-like experience we can. So apart from the headliner and the opener, we’re holding student artists, we’re adding DJs, we’re adding other activities and foods that really build that experience out so that students can have that experience even if they can’t necessarily achieve it at Lollapalooza or somewhere else.”

Students who are interested in Fest can buy tickets for $10 on DeHUB.