Pop singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo recently released her third studio album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, but that’s not all she was working on. Daisy Chain Fields, a music festival featuring an all-women lineup, is coming to California on August 29th, and fans are pretty excited for a variety of reasons.
Music festivals like Coachella, The Gov Ball, and Lollapalooza have become staples of the live music scene. However, there’s a new one that’s doing things a bit differently, and for a good cause.
On June 22nd, news of Daisy Chain Fields came to light, and it wasn’t just another ordinary summer music festival. Festival founder Olivia Rodrigo revealed she’s been planning the event for a while, and it has finally come to fruition. The lineup features all women performers, with net proceeds supporting charities for women and girls.
A good time for a good mission.
What we know about Daisy Chain Fields so far
Unlike some other festivals, Daisy Chain Fields revealed its performers before tickets went on sale. They didn’t leave fans guessing if their faves would be included.
Along with Rodrigo herself in the lineup, festivalgoers can enjoy other stars like Chappell Roan, Doechii, KATSEYE, and Mitski.
The lineup consists solely of women artists spanning genres such as pop, alternative, indie, punk, hip-hop, and R&B. Also listed as special guests are Karen O, Sarah McLachlan, and Stevie Nicks.
Like most concerts, Daisy Chain Fields asked fans to register for a presale code before ticket sales. To prevent scalping (purchasing tickets and reselling them at much higher prices), the sale was conducted through the official festival website.
The sought-after passes sold out quickly, with tickets gone just 30 minutes after the presale began. Those who missed their chance to snag tickets, however, can join the waitlist if more passes become available in the next couple of weeks.
One of the reasons tickets sold out so quickly was the time and location.
Daisy Chain Fields is not a weekend-long music festival. It will be an exclusive one-day event held on August 29th at Great Park in Irvine, California. Much to the international fans’ dismay.
Bringing it back to Lilith Fair
We can’t talk about Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields Festival without talking about McLachlan’s Lilith Fair.
Tired of hearing that women couldn’t draw crowds together, McLachlan decided to take matters into her own hands. Determined to prove the industry heads wrong, she booked a tour for herself and other female musicians like Paula Cole, Lisa Loeb, and Emmylou Harris.
Seeing as that was a hit, Lilith Fair was born the very next summer in 1997. It consisted of 37 dates, and around 70 women were scheduled to perform.
The name honors Lilith, said to be Adam’s first wife before Eve, who refused to be submissive to him. McLachlan also added “Fair” to stand for the inclusivity and equality — hence Lilith Fair.
During those three summers of 1997-1999, roughly 300 artists were featured with 134 tour dates across North America. As a result, the festival earned around $60 million in ticket revenue, with over $10 million benefiting charities.
Not only was it an immense financial success, but it also fostered community, visibility, and ample opportunities for women in the music industry to showcase their talent. It gave women a stage to perform independently and prove they were just as commercially successful as men.
You can understand Rodrigo’s admiration and inspiration for starting her own.
When announcing Daisy Chain Fields on Good Morning America, Rodrigo mentioned, “Lilith Fair was a huge inspiration for me starting this festival. And actually, the first person I called when I decided that I wanted to do this was Sarah McLachlan.”
She says she thinks “it’s an experience like Lilith Fair, and hopefully Daisy Chain, that will show us that we’re all way stronger when we come together and support one another.”
Why Daisy Chain is standing out
As we’ve covered, Daisy Chain Fields is not like your traditional music festival.
It stands as an intersectional celebration of women in music, raising awareness and boosting female solidarity.
Their mission statement states, “The festival celebrates the voices, artistry, and contributions of women in music, fostering an inclusive environment in which all are welcome.” They want to “provide opportunities for education, dialogue, and engagement around issues affecting women and girls in the United States and globally.”
In addition to all of this, the artists set to perform are also doing it pro bono. Without usual performance fees, more of the money raised will go to the organizations and charities. When discussing this, Rodrigo said it “is just a real testament to their hearts, as well as their talent.”
Rather than artists’ earnings, the festival emphasizes community and advocacy for women’s rights. It is a benefit event with the sole purpose of helping and educating others — and we don’t get to say that often.
Not to mention, the festival grounds at Great Park will be filled with educational resources, women-led businesses, nonprofit activations, and art installations.
They say, “through partnerships and on-site resources, the festival seeks to ensure that girls and young people have access to information and support they may not otherwise know how to find, and real-life interactions with women and girls who are bright lights in our world.”
It’s a great opportunity to listen to good music, learn about social issues, and meet new people.
Rodrigo’s advocacy for women
Daisy Chain Fields festival is not the first time Rodrigo has used her platform to help others. In the past, the singer has not shied away from speaking up about women’s issues and raising awareness.
During her GUTS World Tour in 2024-2025, she partnered with the National Network of Abortion Funds to provide resources and distribute contraceptives to fans in states with severe restrictions.
Rodrigo also launched Fund 4 Good, a global charity initiative to support community-based non-profits that advocate for girls’ education, reproductive rights, and prevent gender-based violence. Through this fund, over $2 million in tour proceeds have been donated to women’s health charities.
Creating a safe space
Her dedicated activism through the years has earned her the Catalyst of Change Award at the Planned Parenthood Gala in 2025. In her acceptance speech, the singer said she wanted to make her shows feel like a safe space for fans.
“We live in a world that politicizes our bodies and uses harmful ideologies to deny us safety and healthcare,” she said, “it breaks my heart to think that, because of oppressive laws and outdated policies, some of those girls may not get to follow their dreams the way I was able to follow mine.”
The name of her benefit music festival derives from the same initiative.
Rodrigo says when she pictured the festival, “I had an image in my head of girls sitting underneath a tree, making flower crowns or friendship bracelets. I also just like the idea of a daisy chain, how we all can be individual links in this chain that is larger than the individual.”
In a world where girls are often pitted against one another, it’s nice to see artists and those with larger platforms using their voices to speak up about women’s rights and societal issues.
Impact going forward
This idea that women have to compete with one another to succeed is a harmful myth. Instead, we should be lifting each other up and supporting one another. Music festivals like Lilith Fair and Daisy Chain Fields are doing a great job of supporting that ideal.
Daisy Chain Fields has the potential to motivate younger generations of girls to engage in activism and change. It can inspire more women-led events in the future, bringing together community and tangible action.
You can find a closer look at the organizations partnering with Rodrigo and the music festival in the following:
- Baby2Baby
- BMMA (Black Mamas Matter Alliance)
- Center for Reproductive Rights
- FreeFrom
- Jhpiego
- John Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health
- National Domestic Workers Alliance
- National Institute for Reproductive Health
- National Women’s Law Center
- Planned Parenthood
By backing causes such as Daisy Chain Fields, the festival will address healthcare, economic empowerment, and safety for underserved populations.
It will be a momentous day of support and progress for women.
If you weren’t able to grab tickets but would still like to support, you can donate to Daisy Chain Fields here.
We can all do our part to help those in need.
