Olivia Rodrigo has announced Daisy Chain Fields, a new one-day music festival in California featuring an all-women and female-fronted line-up, with net proceeds directed to organisations supporting women and girls.
by Paul Cashmere
Olivia Rodrigo is expanding her influence beyond the concert stage with the launch of Daisy Chain Fields, a new one-day music festival set for August 29, 2026, at Great Park in Irvine, California. Inspired by the pioneering Lilith Fair festivals of the late 1990s, the event will feature an exclusively female and female-fronted artist roster, while directing net ticket sale proceeds to charitable organisations focused on advancing the rights, health and wellbeing of women and girls.
The announcement comes just weeks after the release of Rodrigo’s third studio album, You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love, and marks a significant step in the singer-songwriter’s evolving role within the music industry. Rather than simply adding another date to an already busy touring schedule, Rodrigo is positioning Daisy Chain Fields as a community-focused event designed to connect artists, audiences and advocacy groups around a shared purpose.
Speaking about the project, Rodrigo said she had envisioned creating such an event for years.
“I actually feel like it’s my calling in some weird way. I have had this dream to do this festival for a really long time,” she said.
The inaugural Daisy Chain Fields line-up reflects both contemporary chart success and alternative music heritage. Alongside Rodrigo, performers include Chappell Roan, Doechii, Mitski, Santigold, Rachel Chinouriri, Katseye, Garbage, Bikini Kill and The Breeders. Emerging acts Not For Radio, Die Spitz, Quiet Light and Eli will also perform.
The event will feature appearances from special guests Stevie Nicks, Karen O and Sarah McLachlan, whose presence carries particular symbolic significance. McLachlan founded Lilith Fair in 1997 after encountering resistance from promoters who questioned whether multiple female artists could successfully share the same bill.
Rodrigo has openly acknowledged Lilith Fair as the blueprint for Daisy Chain Fields and said she hopes younger audiences experience a similar sense of community.
“I feel really connected to the young girls that come to my concerts, and the fact that I get to be in the fabric of their lives is a real, true honor that I don’t take lightly,” Rodrigo said.
“I just feel like we need something really positive to do and see, and young girls need awesome role models who are supporting other women and who are engaging in something that’s really joyful and musical and community-oriented.”
Beyond the music, organisers say Daisy Chain Fields will include nonprofit activations, educational resources, community art experiences, local vendors, fan pop-ups and immersive installations. The festival has been designed as a platform where entertainment and advocacy intersect.
Net proceeds from ticket sales will be directed to organisations including Planned Parenthood, the Center for Reproductive Rights, the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health, Black Mamas Matter Alliance, the National Institute for Reproductive Health and the National Women’s Law Center. Organisers have also stated that participating artists have agreed not to receive profits from their performances, increasing the charitable impact of the event.
The launch arrives during a period when music festivals are increasingly being asked to demonstrate social purpose alongside entertainment value. While major festivals continue to face scrutiny over diversity and representation, Daisy Chain Fields places female artists and female-led causes at the centre of its identity from the outset.
The comparison with Lilith Fair is unavoidable. Between 1997 and 1999, McLachlan’s touring festival became a cultural landmark, showcasing artists including Fiona Apple, Erykah Badu, Bonnie Raitt, Missy Elliott, Sinéad O’Connor, The Cardigans and The Chicks. It also generated millions of dollars for charitable causes and challenged long-standing industry assumptions about the commercial viability of women-led festival bills.
A revival attempt in 2010 failed to gain traction, with McLachlan later reflecting that the circumstances surrounding that version differed substantially from the original event. In subsequent interviews, she suggested a future successor would likely require a younger artist capable of connecting with a new generation of music fans.
For many observers, Rodrigo now appears positioned to take on that role. Her commercial success, combined with her advocacy work and influence among younger audiences, gives Daisy Chain Fields a foundation that extends beyond nostalgia for Lilith Fair.
The festival also highlights the growing trend of artists creating their own branded live events rather than relying exclusively on traditional touring and festival circuits. Similar models have been adopted by major artists seeking greater control over programming, audience experience and charitable outcomes.
For Rodrigo, Daisy Chain Fields represents both a new creative venture and a statement of intent. With tickets going on pre-sale from June 24 and a line-up spanning multiple generations of female artists, the event will serve as a test of whether the spirit that drove Lilith Fair nearly three decades ago can resonate with audiences in 2026.
August 29, 2026, Irvine, California, Great Park
Ticket presale begins June 24, 2026.
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