Olivia Rodrigo Announces All-Women Music Festival “Daisy Chain Fields”
- Olivia Hanson
- Jun 24
- 3 min read
by Olivia Hanson
Earlier this week, Olivia Rodrigo announced she will be running her very own music festival titled Daisy Chain Fields. Taking place on August 29 in Irvine, CA, it features an exciting all-women lineup with artists like Chappell Roan, Mitski, and Stevie Nicks. All proceeds will go to various charities supporting women and girls in need. The concept of the all-women music festival is rare, but not nonexistent. Americana singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile hosts her own festival in Mexico each January, and some towns host local festivals supporting women too. Many of these events, including Olivia’s, draw direct inspiration from the first major all-women’s music festival: Lilith Fair. In typical Olivia fashion, she has not forgotten who laid the foundation, and she will be inviting Lilith Fair creator Sarah McLachlan to the stage for Daisy Chain Fields.
Sarah McLachlan created Lilith Fair in response to the misogynistic notion that no one would go to a festival that featured only female artists. She brought an iconic collection of 90s artists like Tracy Chapman, Fiona Apple, and the Indigo Girls on the road to successfully prove her critics wrong, all while donating proceeds to charity. It ran for three summers in the late 90s, and became one of the most successful music festivals of its time. Lilith Fair showed the world that people were more than ready for an all-women’s lineup.
Last fall, Olivia appeared in Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery, the ninety minute documentary sharing unseen backstage footage from the festival. Olivia acted as the voice of the new generation of music lovers. She reflected on how she felt hearing about the festival for the first time, saying, “Finding out that all of my favorite artists had played at this event…I was in disbelief that I had never heard of it before.” Olivia mentioned that 90s women singer/songwriters are her “northern stars,” and she’s done a remarkable job at following their guiding light.
Olivia always gracefully balances the role of fan and collaborator when it comes to her heroes. She’s expressed her love for The Cure, covering their songs and even inviting Robert Smith to sing on one of her latest tracks. It’s no surprise that she’s bringing Sarah McLachlan along for this festival too. The respect she has for her heroes is truly inspiring, and Olivia will have no problem building her own legacy if she continues holding up the legacies of older artists.
As of now, Daisy Chain Fields is a one-time event, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have the potential to grow into something bigger. It would be amazing to see it evolve into something like Lilith Fair that brings the music to stages across the country while still maintaining its core message. In an interview with Pitchfork, Olivia states that the main goal of her festival is to be “something really positive” where young girls can see “role models who are supporting other women and who are engaging in something that's really joyful and musical and community-oriented." Olivia’s dedication to her inspirations will always remain one of the biggest reasons I support her, and if you aren’t already a Livie, now is the perfect time to tune in and support one of the biggest names in pop.
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