On August 29th, 2026, Olivia Rodrigo hosted Daisy Chain Fields, an all-women-led music festival in Irvine, California. Largely inspired by Sarah McLachlan’s Lilith Fair, the festival championed women’s voices and experiences, posing the question: What happens when a music festival centers women instead of men? 

In a recent interview for Good Morning America, Rodrigo explained where the idea for Daisy Chain Fields came from: “I had an image in my head of girls sitting under a tree making little daisy chain flower crowns or friendship bracelets, I also just like the idea of a daisy chain –– how we can all be individuals links in this chain that is larger than the individual.”

With the grand total profits of $20 million raised for women-centered organizations and issues, Rodrigo has begun building what she’s planning to be an annual daisy chain connecting her festival to so many women and girls across the globe.

As aforementioned, Daisy Chain Fields was heavily inspired by McLachlan’s Lilith Fair, an entirely women-led festival that ran in the summers of 1997, ‘98, ‘99 and 2010. Though the festival was initially successful, raising $10 million for charity, it was cancelled, citing a change in audience. It seems that now, just 16 years later, the audience has changed yet again and is instead starved for the energy that had been long ignored. 

In preparation for this renewed feat, the Daisy Chain Fields Instagram posted the list of performers (all women), a series of helpful guides for dealing with FAQs, along with the charities and women’s orgs the festival was supporting. Some of which included Baby2Baby, Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Center for Reproductive Rights and National Domestic Workers Alliance.

To bring this all together, Rodrigo brought in a whole setlist of modern female musicians willing to perform for free so that 100% of the proceeds could be donated to the organizations she found. After a personal phone call from Rodrigo herself, each artist was thrilled to accept the opportunity to be a part of this event. The list included Bikini Kill, Chappell Roan, Devon Again, Die Spitz, Doechii, Eli, Garbage, Mitski, Not For Radio, Olivia Rodrigo, Quiet Light, Rachel Chinouriri, Santigold, The Breeders and special guests Karen O, Sarah Mclachlan and Stevie Nicks.

Attendees Sydney Abad and Alyssa Karimi told CNN, “Obviously, we love Olivia Rodrigo and all of the amazing women and girls who are here,” Karimi said. Adding, the fact that “all of the proceeds are going to these amazing charities — I was like, okay, I kind of have to go.”

Not only was Rodrigo looking to build a supportive and caring community during the festival, she also wanted to make an impact and spread awareness on issues facing women and girls throughout the festival itself. By incorporating the generous and supportive core of the event into the experience at the festival, Rodrigo created a space for listening to and learning about women’s issues all while keeping spirits high and playful.

So how did Rodrigo actually accomplish this? By channeling girlhood. 

With pop-up booths and art installations, the festival’s grounds actively encouraged attendees to ask questions of themselves, to think about the dreams and wishes for the world, to realize that we aren’t all that different and are actually stronger together (just like a daisy chain). There was a “wishing tree” where attendees could write down their wishes on little tags and hang them like little white leaves off the tree. Friendship bracelets were passed around and purchased by attendees of all ages, proving that the little magical moments in girlhood transcend generations. 

“I feel, especially now with, you know, after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, is really when things started to feel super unstable for us,” Alisa Benitez told CNN. “And what's happening with ICE and, you know, immigration law, in addition to female reproductive law, I think now more than ever this is such an important festival to have for all of us. It gives me hope.”

The reaction to the festival has been overwhelmingly positive. From fans who gained more respect for their favorite artists performing for free, to the general public seeing the monetary contribution Rodrigo has created. All in all, the festival was an enormous success thanks to Rodrigo, but also thanks to the community that came out to support her.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisy_Chain_Fields

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilith_Fair

https://pitchfork.com/features/cover-story/olivia-rodrigo-interview/