Last year, promoter Ignacio Rodriguera, who goes by the name Nacho Corrupted, announced plans for the rescheduled version of CY Fest, a Los Angeles punk festival that was originally supposed to take place in 2025. The 2026 CY Fest, scheduled to come to the Belasco later this month, has a truly impressive lineup, with punk, hardcore, and metal underground legends like the Subhumans, Eyehategod, Pig Destroyer, and Dropdead playing alongside newer bands like Big Boy, Rotting Out, and Mess. But an online feminist group has circulated a number of sexual misconduct allegations against Rodriguera, and some bands have dropped off the CY Fest lineup.
The allegations against Rodriguera come from the Instagram page @Feral_bonobos, which lists itself as "the beginning of a decentralized feminist coalition within the punk scene." In an Instagram post last week, that page posted a call to boycott CY Fest. In a series of slides, @Feral_bonobos says. "Dozens of allegations have surfaced against Nacho Corrupted who is the promoter of CY Fest in Los Angeles. The allegations state that Nacho Corrupted was part of a network of men who targeted and assaulted underaged girls within the punk scene." There's a QR code with a link to an Instagram story that collects accusations against Rodriguera.
Since those allegations emerged, bands like Iron Lung, Tørsö, Apartment 213, and Tripas Sangrientas have canceled plans to play CY Fest, most of them without much in the way of further comment. Rodriguera has not publicly addressed the allegations.
UPDATE: On Monday evening (March 17), festival booker Ignacio Rodriguera wrote that he's "stepping away" from the fest to legally address the allegations against him, which he calls "false":
The C.Y. festival has recently faced significant challenges due to false allegations and misinformation. I am stepping away to focus entirely on addressing these matters through the proper legal channels. My priority is ensuring that the community can still come together and have a great weekend without distractions. I'm announcing that the venues and their staff, along with an outside promoter will be stepping in to run the festival/shows. I have full confidence that their team will deliver the experience you all deserve.
On Tuesday, Tankcrimes Records owner Scotty Heath posted a video explaining that he was now taking over promotions and logistics, as “things were falling apart.”
“I cold called the promoter who I didn't know,” Heath said, “and suggested that he step down to save this fest, and he respectfully agreed… We've been in contact with the venues who are going to step up with extra staff to help stage manage and run the shows with us.”
However, a few hours later, headliners Subhumans dropped off CY Fest as well.
In the days following, Resistant Culture, Triste, Dropdead, Antichrist Demoncore, Hell Fire, Weekend Nachos, Ghoul, Haggus, Hong Kong Fuck You, Bomber, Dr. Know, and Mess also canceled Saturday and pre-fest appearances, and Heath deleted his video and posted a new one.
In that one he says:
"I thought I could pull it off. There's just— too many questions came in from you guys that I don't have the answers for, and so I just felt like I was in over my head."
Comments had already been disabled on CY Fest's Instagram, however fans on the bands' posts had been asking about refunds (tickets are reportedly non-refundable) and about whether Rodriguera's company still had a financial interest in the event even though he's stepped away.
If you or someone you know has undergone sexual abuse, please visit rainn.org or contact the National Sexual Assault Helpline at 1-800-656-4673.
