DURANT, Okla. - Thousands of music lovers attended over a dozen performances at Choctaw Casino & Resort – Durant's first ever Choctaw Music Fest over the weekend.
The festival was headlined by Megan Moroney, Lainey Wilson and Foreigner, who performed sold out shows at the three-time Academy of Country Music award winning Grand Theater. Maroney was the 2023 ACM New Female Artist of the Year, while Lainey Wilson is fresh off a GRAMMY win for best country album for “Bell Bottom Country,” and Foreigner was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
"The first thing any performer will notice about the crowd at Choctaw is how involved the crowd will get in the show,” said Foreigner bassist Jeff Pilson. “They seem to know every lyric to every song and their singing voices are wonderfully loud and exuberant! If every crowd were like Choctaw, boy would that make our job a whole lot easier!"
There were also 10 performances at Gilley’s over the course of four days including local favorite Bailey Rae, who rose to fame on season 19 of NBC’s The Voice in 2020.
The Choctaw Music Fest also gave fans a peek behind the curtain with an Academy of Country Music singer-songwriter event with Trannie Anderson and Dallas Wilson, both of whom have written hit songs for Lainey Wilson, including "Heart Like a Truck." During the event, which was free to the public, Anderson and Wilson performed songs they’ve written, told the stories behind hit records and talked about the writing process.
“We had a writers retreat here last year. Lainey played three shows, and we wrote the song, ‘Counting Chickens,’ in this very place,” Anderson said, adding that an unreleased track, ‘Finders Keepers,’ was also written in the resort. “Choctaw has given us a lot of inspiration, so thank you Choctaw!”
In 2025, Choctaw Casino & Resort – Durant looks to expand the music festival to include additional performances and unique opportunities for attendees.
“Choctaw Casino & Resort – Durant has become an entertainment destination for music lovers from Oklahoma, North Texas and beyond, bringing in the biggest names in the industry and up-and-coming talent,” said Jeff Penz, senior director of gaming and hospitality for Choctaw Casino & Resort – Durant. “We’re thrilled with the turnout of our inaugural music fest and look forward to bringing the Choctaw Music Fest back next fall and making it bigger and better with entertainers across all genres.”
