Lukas Wigflex steps down from Peep Festival following abuse allegations

Lukas Wigflex addresses abuse allegations as Peep Festival moves forward without its co-founder ahead of its debut.

Nottingham-born DJ Lukas Wigflex has resigned from Peep Festival and canceled all scheduled performances following abuse allegations detailed in an online blog post. Wigflex, whose real name is Lukas Cole, co-founded the weekend-long festival with Dr Banana. The event is scheduled to debut in July.

A writer named Avarni published allegations Sunday in a Substack post that outlined alleged instances of psychological abuse, coercive and controlling behavior, physical abuse, intimidation and threats, and financial abuse by a prominent figure in the industry. The post did not explicitly name the accused, but details regarding his marriage, DJ shows and Nottingham-based events brand led to widespread speculation that the claims involved Cole.

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Peep Festival organizers released a statement June 30 announcing Cole’s immediate departure from the festival. Cole will “no longer perform at, profit from or be involved in the festival in any capacity,” according to the statement.

“Safety and respect have sat at the heart of every conversation in the planning of the first edition of our festival, and will always be our top priorities,” festival organizers said. The team noted they were deeply saddened by the information learned over the last 48 hours and acknowledged the impact on their community.

Cole addressed the allegations July 1 in an Instagram statement titled “To Avarni.” He said he felt “embarrassed, disgusted and full of shame” regarding how he treated his former partner. “I ran away from my partner and problems like a fucking coward,” he said. “I am a fucking coward. An avoidant who buries his head in the sand rather than deal with stuff that’s uncomfortable.”

Cole said he takes full responsibility and has attempted to make amends with his family and friends. However, he specifically denied claims of physical violence. “Whilst I want to be accountable for my actions and behaviours, I also want to make it clear that I categorically refuse any and all allegations of physical abuse in our relationship,” he wrote.

Cole announced he will cancel all forthcoming gigs to prioritize therapy and counseling. “I will be hanging up the headphones and any forthcoming confirmed gigs will not be taking place,” he said.

Featured image credit: Discotech

About The Author

Ashley Palya

I’ve been writing, covering events, and doing interviews with Exron for nearly four years, but have been an EDM-lover for over a decade. The music community and industry has a special place in my heart and I love exploring the depths. EDC Las Vegas is my favorite festival and this year will be my sixth time attending. Some other recent festivals I’ve been are Ultra, Elements, Lost Lands, Electric Forest, and Arc. I’ve been getting more into experimental bass, but techno and house will always have my heart. <3

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