On April 26th, 2026, the inaugural Riot! DC Music Festival successfully fostered healing, strengthened community, and empowered action. Organized by D.C.-based feminist punk band Mac N’ Toss, the festival brought together survivors, artists, artisans, advocates, and community members for a powerful day of music, crafts, and education. Held in observance of Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Denim Day, the Sexual Violence Prevention Association (SVPA) was deeply honored to be part of this impactful event and the beneficiary of a portion of the proceeds.
The event featured 16 musicians and bands representing the femme and riot grrrl underground feminist movements, including headliner Shauna Dean Cokeland, a Maryland folk punk artist.
“We focused a lot on ensuring that there was diversity in our lineup,” Devon Mullins, guitarist and lead vocalist of Mac N’ Toss, said. “We want to hear all of those different perspectives.”
“That’s really what I hope people get from this event, is finding healing through music,” said Mac N’ Toss’ drummer and background vocalist Annie Guske.
“We all united together around intersectional feminism and making music that really makes survivors feel seen, heard and understood in a way that’s raw,” Mac Burgoyne, bassist and background vocalist of Mac N’ Toss, said. “I put so much anger into all of my writing. And it is absolutely healing.”
Mullins, Guske, and Burgoyne prioritized safety and inclusion in all parts of the festival, including the mosh pit. Mosh pits can be unsafe with frequent reports of sexual assault, harassment, and physical abuse. To counter this, Mac N’ Toss encourages “girl mosh,” a staple of the riot grrrl movement, prioritizing consent, safety, and inclusion for women and gender-expansive people.
Alongside the music, 27 vendors and six nonprofit organizations, including the SVPA, filled the festival grounds with art, baked goods, flash tattoos, crafts, and more.
SVPA team members tabled at the event, engaging with festival-goers through educational materials, zines, and hand-made merch focused on preventing systemic sexual violence. Attendees left with real knowledge, resources, and a stronger sense of community.
“Events like Riot! DC are exactly the kind of grassroots, community-driven spaces where our mission comes alive,” said Omny Miranda Martone, Founder and CEO of the SVPA. “Punk and underground music have always been vehicles for marginalized people to find each other and speak truth to power. That is precisely what happened here.”
Omny gave three speeches during the event, discussing the SVPA’s work on SORVO, state sexual violence, and the many ways sexual violence is being used to increase authoritarianism and oppression. Our speeches, zines, and other materials educated attendees on the systemic use of sexual violence against immigrants, prisoners, trans+ people, Palestinians, women, people of color, and other marginalized communities. We weren’t the only ones speaking on these issues. Many bands and vendors wore keffiyehs, hung pride flags, and spoke directly about liberation.
A portion of proceeds from the pay-what-you-can festival were directed to the SVPA, generating vital financial support for our work preventing systemic and state sexual violence. In the past year, we’ve been targeted with funding cuts from the administration and private donors due to our outspoken support of marginalized groups and our criticism of the government, Big Tech, and other powerful institutions.
The funds raised from this event will empower us to remain accountable to those most marginalized, without influence from corporations, big philanthropists, or the nonprofit industrial complex. Preventing sexual violence requires dismantling predatory systems of power. We are free to pursue this mission because of grassroots donations and survivor-led events like Riot! DC.
We are deeply grateful to Mac N’ Toss, The Garage, all of the performing artists, each of the vendors, and every person who showed up in solidarity.
The SVPA looks forward to continued partnership with Mac N’ Toss and the broader riot grrrl and punk community. We celebrate this inaugural event as a model for future survivor-centered, community-powered advocacy.
