On August 29, Olivia Rodrigo made history with her all-female music festival, Daisy Chain Fields, held in Irvine, California. The festival drew around 45,000 fans, many dressed in flower crowns and babydoll dresses. Rodrigo, who announced the event in June, emphasized its mission of joy, community, and creativity aimed at inspiring meaningful change. All net proceeds would benefit charities focused on women’s causes, including Planned Parenthood, FreeFrom, and Baby2Baby.
Although Rodrigo is the sole founder, the concept of an all-female charity festival isn’t new. Sarah McLachlan created Lilith Fair in 1997 as a response to concert promoters avoiding booking female acts back-to-back. Lilith Fair ran annually until 1999 and had a brief revival in 2010. Rodrigo cited McLachlan’s festival as her inspiration for Daisy Chain and invited her as a special guest.
The festival featured performances by modern female artists like Chappell Roan, Doechii, and Mitski, with guests such as Stevie Nicks and Alanis Morissette. Notable moments included Rodrigo and Nicks performing “Landslide,” and McLachlan dedicating “Angel” to the late Dolly Parton.
The event raised an impressive $20 million for various charities, targeting issues from reproductive health to essentials for mothers and children in poverty. Additionally, Rodrigo released two charity singles, “serena joy” and “purple (happy version),” enabling those unable to attend to support the cause.
Rodrigo also garnered attention for saving a Palestinian woman’s small business by wearing a handmade dress from Nöl Collective, which was struggling after a crucial fabric shipment was destroyed.
She hopes to make Daisy Chain Fields an annual event dedicated to supporting female causes and uplifting women in challenging times.
