Photo by Jerry Castillo
At the helm of L.A.-based Nothing Less Booking, Ignacio Rodriguera, is held in high regard as a advocate of underground subculture. Establishing both the L.A. Punk Invasion and CY Fest banners, Rodriguera, more commonly known in his circles as Nacho, has cemented his reputation for bridging generations of underground cult.
Compiling festival bills that pool an ensemble cast of artists spanning generations and subgenre, the Nothing Less Booking brand along with its celebrated properties have resonated with a community that often goes underserved - the discerning punk that knows the real and appreciates the rare.
While the 2025 edition of CY Fest was initially set for September of this year, organizers instead were forced to pivot, confronting the uncertainties of immigration hurdles and logistical issues and opting for more time. That reality would ultimately prompt Nacho and the team at Nothing Less to eventually announce that the rescheduled 2026 edition of CY Fest, would mark a period of pause for the next couple of years in an effort to wait out the unpredictability of immigration and customs.
The added time in transitioning from the September 2025 event to a March 2026 send-off has only allowed CY Fest to swell in terms of significance. While fans and the greater punk community at large are dead set on going out with the bang, the line-up has gone through some different iterations - ultimately building in magnitude and profile.
Among the headliners earning top billing, CY Fest 2026 will showcase performances from legends with serious international reach. U.K greats Subhumans will set it off, along with the first L.A. performance in two decades from Wales punk pioneers, The Partisans. Brazilian crossover heroes Ratos de Porão are also among the headliners on a bill that casts a wide net among the hardcore punk purists.
And while most fests stall after the top line, CY Fest's strengths could best be assessed in the subplots that complete the full picture. Cult metal pillars like Whiplash, EYEHATEGOD and Ghoul rub elbows with the likes of powerviolence OGs like Infest, ACxDC and Weekend Nachos. Decorated punks like Final Conflict, M.D.C. and Varukers coexists with hardcore contemporaries like Big Boy, Big Ass Truck and Rotting Out.
Cy Fest is where the triple OGs in their space like crossover killers Excel and Providence punks Dropdead connect with the next generation of disruptors in forces like Haggus, Hong Kong Fuck You and Desmadre.
Compiling this kind of comprehensive, cohesive bill requires a fundamental knowledge of the culture and an expertise that can only cone from a firm finger on the cultural pulse. It's evident given the size and scope of the final CY Fest before its hiatus, the team at Nothing Less is tapped in and unwavering in their commitment to platforming their community.
See the confirmed line-up for CY Fest 2026 below. Any remaining tickets can be found - HERE
