GWAR staged Elon Musk beheading and Trump murder at Riot Fest, sparking backlash
Graphic onstage stunts at Chicago festival drew criticism from fans and commentators who said the act normalized violence, while the band and organizers faced questions about boundaries in live performance.
Chicago — A graphic onstage stunt during Riot Fest this weekend featured the heavy metal act GWAR staging a decapitation of a mannequin modeled after Elon Musk and a separate segment depicting the murder of President Trump, prompting swift criticism from fans and commentators who described the act as grotesque and a normalization of violence.
Video and photos circulating online show a GWAR member in one of their signature costumes using a weapon to sever the head from the Musk mannequin, which was dressed in sunglasses, a D.O.G.E.-branded T-shirt, black jeans and a jacket. The head flew as fake blood sprayed into the air while the crowd cheered.
Reaction on social media was divided. Some users said the stunt was excessive and inappropriate for a festival setting, while others defended GWAR’s theatrical tradition. Riot Fest later weighed in with a tongue-in-cheek reply to a rage-bait post on X, suggesting that GWAR may have crossed a major line, a comment that sparked its own online debate. The same social feed also circulated a clip of a previous GWAR stunt in which a model representing President Joe Biden was beheaded at a prior show.
GWAR, founded in 1984 in Richmond, Virginia, are known for their grotesque costumes and graphic stage theatrics. Past performances have included sensational effects such as fake blood, urine and semen sprayed into the crowd. The Musk moment followed in that vein and contributed to a broader conversation about the boundaries of onstage shock value in live music.
Riot Fest, a three-day festival that began in 2005, is one of the largest independently owned music festivals in the United States. This year’s event featured headline performances from Blink-182, Weezer and Green Day, alongside a broader slate of punk and alternative acts.
Representatives for GWAR and Riot Fest did not respond immediately to requests for comment. Critics say the incident highlights ongoing tensions about the role of violence in entertainment and the responsibilities of festival organizers when staging provocative acts.
As debates over spectacle and safety continue to echo through concert culture, Friday’s incident at Riot Fest serves as a reminder that shock value remains a potent, controversial tool in performances, with consequences that extend beyond the stage.
