Portugal's Electronic Music Scene Grapples with European DJ Sexual Abuse Allegations

The Portugal electronic music scene has felt the ripples of a scandal that has upended the hard techno world across Europe, as a wave of sexual misconduct allegations against multiple high-profile DJs has triggered sweeping cancellations, contract terminations, and soul-searching within the nightlife industry.

The controversy centers on a roster of artists who, until recently, shared representation under the Steer Management agency, a Paris and Miami-based booking firm that manages some of the genre's biggest names. Accusations surfaced in mid-February 2026 via an Instagram account called @bradnolimit, allegedly run by Brad Bedzyk, a former booking agent who claims he left Steer in August 2025 after the job destroyed his mental health and compromised his values.

Why This Matters for Portugal

For residents and expats in Portugal who frequent electronic music events, the scandal underscores the fragility of trust in an industry that has long struggled with accountability. While no Portugal-based festivals have been directly implicated in the Steer Management controversy, the country's vibrant techno scene — anchored by major events in Lisbon, Porto, and seasonal gatherings in the Algarve — is deeply interconnected with the broader European circuit. Festivals like Boom Festival in Idanha-a-Nova and Cornucópia in Porto regularly book international DJs from the hard techno community, making Portugal a key destination on the European circuit that is now under scrutiny.

The allegations range from unwanted sexual messages and manipulative behavior to more serious claims of sexual assault, coercion, and inappropriate approaches to minors. For Portuguese venues and promoters, this means reexamining which international acts they book and implementing stronger safety protocols.

How The Allegations Emerged

Brad's public campaign began as what he called the "Steer Files" — a series of Instagram posts featuring screenshots, victim testimonies, and video clips. Among the accused are French DJs Shlømo and Basswell, Belgian artist Odymel, and German producer Carv. Additional names, including Fantasm and Hades, have also surfaced in the allegations.

The accusations range from unwanted sexual messages and manipulative behavior to more serious claims of sexual assault, coercion, and inappropriate approaches to minors. One message shared by Brad alleges that Shlømo engaged in grooming of 16-year-old Colombian girls and committed acts of sexual abuse between 2016 and 2019. Another testimonial, from an anonymous victim, stated: "I was sexually abused by all of them and every allegation is true. I didn't go through the judicial system because I don't want to break my mother's heart."

A particularly damaging piece of evidence involved a recent interview clip in which Shlømo recounted a disturbing anecdote about a friend engaging with a woman who had just performed oral sex on another man. "The worst part is I think her father was there. She was completely drunk and her dad was backstage. We laughed our asses off," Shlømo said, smiling during the retelling.

Brad's motivation for breaking his silence appears twofold. He claims that after leaving Steer, his former business partner Nicolas and Shlømo attempted to defame him at industry events, telling contacts he had been fired for "perverse behavior." "So no," Brad wrote. "I'm not leaving quietly, and I'm not leaving peacefully."

Industry-Wide Implications

The fallout was immediate. According to DJ Mag, Indian promoter Subvolt canceled a Shlømo show scheduled for February 22, just one day after the allegations went public. Two days later, German venue Das Zimmer Mannheim pulled Carv from its lineup, and Chile's Respira Festival announced it was dropping both Shlømo and Basswell from its bill. By February 24, Malta's Glitch Festival confirmed that following an internal review, Odymel would no longer appear at the 2026 edition.

The wave extended beyond Europe. Festivals including Verknipt, Dominator, DGTL, Awakenings, HIVE, and REBELS Mexico removed the accused DJs from their rosters. Spain's Monegros Festival cited "prudence, responsibility, and community protection" in its decision. Belgium's Dour Festival described its cancellations as a "precautionary measure" in the face of "serious accusations."

Steer Management itself issued a statement pledging a "complete review" of the allegations and later confirmed it had suspended collaborations with the accused artists. Several other Steer-managed acts — including William Luck, Onlynumbers, 6ejou, Natte Visstick, and Lola Cerise — publicly announced they would no longer work with the agency, triggering what insiders have described as a "talent exodus."

Support Networks and Industry Response

Belgian DJ Amelie Lens, a prominent voice in the scene, encapsulated the frustration felt by many women in the industry: "Neither the dance floor nor the backstage is safe for women." Her comments reflect a growing consensus that structural reforms are needed, not just reactive cancellations.

The @MeTooDJs collective, launched on February 8, 2026, offers a confidential support network for victims of sexual violence in electronic music. Composed primarily of women industry professionals, the group provides psychological and legal referrals and has reportedly facilitated several ongoing legal proceedings. This mirrors the work of @metoo.music, founded in 2020 by DJ Rebekah, which has become a key advocacy platform in the techno community.

Portugal's Context and Precedent

Portugal's own festival history includes a sobering precedent. In 2025, the Ícaros Festival in Sesimbra — a coastal town 40km south of Lisbon — was rocked by allegations that an 11-year-old child had been abused on site. The organizers issued a statement lamenting the "very serious incident" and pledged full cooperation with authorities, though details of any resulting investigation remain unclear. The case highlighted vulnerabilities even at events not typically associated with hard techno.

For Portuguese residents concerned about safety at electronic music events, several reporting channels are available. Incidents can be reported to the PSP (Polícia de Segurança Pública) or GNR (Guarda Nacional Republicana), Portugal's national police forces. Additionally, organizations like APAV (Associação Portuguesa de Apoio à Vítima) provide confidential support and guidance for victims of sexual violence, with multilingual resources available online. Festival organizers in Portugal are increasingly required to have incident reporting protocols in place as part of licensing conditions.

Responses from the Accused

The DJs named in the allegations have mounted varied defenses, none of which have quelled the controversy.

Shlømo, who is married with children, issued a statement calling the accusations a "defamation and harassment campaign" orchestrated by Brad, whom he described as engaged in an "obsessive revenge campaign." He categorically denied ever having a "non-consensual relationship" or engaging with minors, and announced his intention to pursue legal action against his accusers.

Odymel offered perhaps the most unconventional defense, claiming he suffers from sexsomnia, a rare sleep disorder characterized by sexual behavior during unconsciousness. He stated that an alleged incident occurred while he was asleep and that he has no memory of it, adding that the individual involved had been in a consensual relationship with him. Odymel expressed being "truly sorry" and confirmed he is cooperating with a preliminary investigation by authorities.

Carv admitted to infidelity, acknowledging he sent sexually explicit messages and intimate images to multiple women. However, he insisted all interactions were consensual and denied any criminal conduct. Shortly after his statement, Carv canceled all remaining tour dates and announced the end of his music career.

Basswell has not issued a public statement and has been removed from multiple festival lineups without comment.

Counter-allegations have also emerged. Fantasm and Shlømo have accused Brad of extortion, illegal defamation, death threats, forgery, and doxxing (publishing private information). Fantasm further alleged that Brad himself faces accusations from women and that Brad remained silent about the misconduct while employed at Steer to protect his commission income. These claims have not been independently verified.

Legal Status and Next Steps

As of early March 2026, most of the allegations remain public accusations rather than formal criminal charges. No court rulings have been reported, though sources indicate that "several legal proceedings are currently underway with specialized lawyers." The @MeTooDJs platform has confirmed it is supporting victims through these processes.

The scandal arrives amid broader European Union efforts to strengthen protections against sexual violence. In November 2025, the EU Council approved regulations to combat online child sexual abuse, imposing obligations on digital platforms. The European Parliament has also pushed for mandatory training for law enforcement and judicial officials to prevent secondary victimization of survivors, and for gender-based violence to be added to the EU's list of crimes, enabling more robust cross-border legislation.

Portugal, like other EU member states, is navigating the tension between rapid digital-era accountability movements and the slower machinery of formal justice. The Steer Management case has effectively become a "trial by social media," with careers destroyed and contracts severed before any courtroom has weighed the evidence.

Broader Questions and Systemic Issues

The controversy has been described as a "#MeToo moment" for the electronic music community, a long-overdue reckoning with the power dynamics and systemic failures that have allowed misconduct to flourish unchecked. Yet it also raises uncomfortable questions about the mechanisms of accountability.

Critics of Brad's approach argue that his timing — coming only after his departure from Steer — and the format of his campaign suggest personal grievance rather than altruism. The counter-narrative frames him as a disgruntled ex-employee weaponizing allegations for revenge. Supporters, however, contend that his insider knowledge was essential to breaking a cycle of silence, and that victims have long lacked accessible channels for redress.

The debate reflects a deeper uncertainty: in an industry where formal HR structures are rare, contracts are informal, and much of the culture revolves around late-night excess, what does accountability look like? Can social media campaigns substitute for due process, or do they risk collateral damage and mob justice?

For now, the answer remains unresolved. What is clear is that the hard techno scene — and the broader electronic music ecosystem that includes Portugal's festivals, clubs, and promoters — is undergoing a structural reassessment of how it protects participants, enforces standards, and responds when those standards are breached.

Looking Ahead

The Steer Management scandal is unlikely to fade quickly. Legal proceedings, if they materialize, will take months or years. The @MeTooDJs network continues to field reports, and the conversation around nightlife safety is expanding beyond individual cases to systemic reform.

For Portugal-based fans and industry professionals, the lesson is stark: the international circuit they participate in is navigating a crisis of credibility. Whether this moment produces lasting change — in the form of enforceable codes of conduct, independent complaint mechanisms, and venue-level safety protocols — or simply becomes another episode of outrage and forgetting, will depend on sustained pressure from all corners of the community.

In the meantime, the lineups are being rewritten, the contracts are being torn up, and a generation of artists is learning that the culture of impunity that once defined backstage life may finally be ending.