Punk in the Park canceled; acts exit due to festival founder’s Trump support
This year’s Punk in the Park Road Show has officially been canceled by the festival’s promoters and organizers.
“It’s with a heavy heart that we announce the cancellation of the Punk in the Park road show events scheduled for 2026,” said a post on the Punk in the Park Instagram. “These shows were something we truly believed in, and we know how much they meant to many of you. Unfortunately, the current climate surrounding the events has created challenges that make it impossible for us to move forward in a way that delivers the experience our fans, artists, and partners deserve.
“This is incredibly disappointing for everyone involved. Our goal has always been to bring people together through music, community, and shared passion — and it’s painful when circumstances prevent that from happening … We hope this is not the end of Punk in the Park, but rather a pause while we regroup and look toward the future.”
The travelling festival had three stops in 2026 planned: Pittsburgh on April 18, in Orlando on May 2, and Vallejo, Calif., on May 23, that were to have included performances by The Adicts, Dead Kennedys, FEAR, The Exploited, Nekromantix, Agnostic Front, Leftover Crack, Screeching Weasel, Manic Hispanic, N8NOFACE, Naked Aggression, 8 Kalacas and more.
The cancellation comes after months of backlash from fans and bands alike over news that Cameron Collins, co-founder of the Orange County-based Brew Ha Ha Productions, which produces several beer and music festivals, contributed money to Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential run.
L.A. Taco reported the news in October 2025, posting financial records showing Collins’ donation to the Trump campaign. Punk fans mobilized to file an online petition, which garnered nearly 1,500 signatures, calling for the cancellation of the festival’s scheduled 2025 stops in Massachusetts and California in September and October.
While the news didn’t derail last year’s events, it led to a domino effect of bands such as Destiny Bond, Time X Heist, Dillinger Four, and Dropkick Murphys dropping off their scheduled Punk in the Park appearances.
On May 1, 2025, Dillinger Four posted a screenshot on Instagram of Collins’ donations beginning from May 30, 2024, through Aug. 18, 2025, to the Trump presidential campaign and wrote, “So what is up with this? This has been popping up a lot these days behind closed doors, and it seems weird that no one is talking about it. The owner of Punk in the Park made multiple MAGA contributions in the last election. What’s going on here?”
Irish rockers Dropkick Murphys, who have been outspoken in their opposition to President Trump, also posted a video and statement via Instagram, writing, “Punk Rock and Donald Trump just don’t belong together,” the band wrote in an Instagram post addressing the cancellation. “So, upon finding out that Brew Ha Ha promotions donated to the Trump campaign, we will not be playing any more Punk in the Park shows.”
The brewing backlash was followed by a rebuttal response from Collins on the official Punk in the Park Instagram in July 2025, where he wrote, “Like many Americans, my political views don’t neatly fit into a single box or party affiliation. I believe in fairness, humanity, free expression, and fostering unity among people. That’s how I’ve tried to live my life and conduct my business.”
Brew Ha Ha Productions did not respond immediately to the request for comment by late Friday afternoon.
The backlash from last year’s festival persisted, and fans called on the groups to withdraw from the 2026 festival, which several bands did.
The L.A.-based, woman-fronted punk band Naked Aggression was the first act to announce they were dropping out of the California date. Next, the synth-punk group N8NOFACE dropped out amid fan pressure.
Other acts, such as Orange County-based ska-punk band 8 Kalacas, whose music is mostly sung in Spanish with lyrics of immigrant struggles, initially planned to perform. The group told L.A. Taco in a statement earlier this month that they have always been anti-Trump, and they planned to use every platform they could to spread that message. However, on Feb. 20, the band issued an Instagram statement saying the concerns from fans had ultimately led it to drop out.
“We recognize that our presence at this festival would do more harm than good for the community we have fought alongside for years,” the post said. “We do not sell out our people. We are Raza, and everything we do is for the Raza, always. Thank you for standing with us.”
A few days later, Dead Kennedys made a statement addressing the issue, writing,
“We’ve become aware that the owner of Brew Ha Ha Productions, the company behind Punk in the Park, made financial contributions in support of the Trump administration. Our first reaction was to cancel our upcoming appearances.
“However, we do not feel it would be fair to our supporters who have already purchased tickets & made plans to attend these shows. Dead Kennedys have always stood firmly against authoritarianism, racism, and fascism. That has not changed. After these scheduled appearances, we will not be participating in future Punk in the Park events.”
The response by Dead Kennedys, whose lineup hasn’t included Jello Biafra in years, the former leader of the group, responded with his own statement saying, “They’re taking the money $$$, and THEN pulling out? The real Dead Kennedys would never have let this happen in the first place. One more sordid reason I don’t ever want to play with them again.”
Brew Ha Ha Productions has hosted several local and nationwide festivals, such as the Lucky Punks! Craft Beer & Music Festival, Punk In Drublic Craft Beer & Music Festival, Punk In The Park, Brightside Music Festival, Flogging Molly’s Shamrock Rebellion, California Is For Lovers, Silverado Showdown, Summer Roots, Sabroso Taco, Craft Beer & Music Festival, Driftwood Country, Craft Beer & BBQ Festival, OC Boo Ha Ha Haunted Oktoberfest, and helped book the final shows for NOFX.
The next event by the production company is The OC Super Show Music & Beer Festival, slated for March 14 at Great Park Live in Irvine, featuring performances by the Aquabats!, Save Ferris, Story of the Year, LIT and more.