IRVINE, CALIF. — Olivia Rodrigo held the inaugural Daisy Chain Fields music festival on Aug. 29, 2026, at the Great Park Sports Complex in Irvine, Calif. The event featured an all-women lineup and raised a total of $20 million for 10 nonprofit organizations supporting women and girls.

Philanthropist Melinda French Gates pledged $10 million through her organization Pivotal to match the initial $10 million raised by the festival. Approximately 45,000 people attended the one-day event, which included performances on two stages named the Marigold Stage and the Dandelion Stage.

All artists on the Daisy Chain Fields lineup performed without fee. Rodrigo announced the festival on June 22, 2026, and tickets sold out within 30 minutes of going on sale. "Daisy Chain Fields was created to celebrate the power of what can happen when we come together to support one another," she said in a press conference before the event.

The beneficiary organizations of the festival funds include Baby2Baby, the Center for Reproductive Rights, Planned Parenthood, the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health, Jhpiego, FreeFrom, the National Women's Law Center, the National Domestic Workers Alliance, and the National Institute for Reproductive Health. Caren Spruch, Planned Parenthood National Director of Arts and Entertainment, said the event helps normalize discussions around reproductive health and rights.

Rodrigo released her album "you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love" in June 2026, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and became her third consecutive chart-topping album. During her performance at the festival, she wore a pale pink dress with traditional Palestinian tatreez embroidery handmade in Ramallah. She also performed the song "Serena Joy" live for the first time, a track that "takes its name partly from a character in Margaret Atwood's novel" "The Handmaid's Tale."

The festival drew comparisons to Lilith Fair, the touring festival co-founded by Sarah McLachlan in the 1990s. "Without Lilith Fair, there would be no Daisy Chain," Rodrigo said during her public address. McLachlan joined Rodrigo on stage to perform "Building a Mystery" and Angel, dedicating the latter to Dolly Parton, who died on Aug. 25, 2026, at the age of 80.

Alanis Morissette performed at the festival after replacing Karen O, who withdrew. Morissette and Rodrigo also performed Ironic together. Stevie Nicks performed Landslide with Rodrigo and praised the singer-songwriter's organizational efforts.

She reminds me of me, when I was her age a hundred years ago. And I’m somewhat awestruck that she could do all this, Nicks said. "Because it’s so hard, you have no idea, putting this together with all of these people. And she’s done it, with this grace."

Rodrigo addressed political tensions surrounding her work, noting that the Trump administration used her song all-american bitch in a November 2025 video showing immigration arrests and promoting self-deportation. It was just awful to see a song that I wrote about feeling trapped in a misogynistic box that we put women in — this song being put to these just grotesque, cruel scenes of ICE raids," she said in an interview. She added that picking fights with pop stars serves as a distraction from other policy actions."

Kathleen Hanna, a musician who performed at the event, spoke about the political climate. Hanna stated that many feel the government hates them and does not care about their healthcare or rights, using profanity to describe her frustration. She described the festival as a gift that allowed attendees to have a good time despite external pressures. Santigold, another performer, expressed disbelief that Rodrigo successfully organized the event, using profanity to emphasize her surprise.

Attendees engaged with an art installation by the Guerilla Girls, writing messages such as "PROTECT QUEER KIDS!", "Put women in charge and pay us more!!!", "ICE OUT!", and "ABORTION RIGHTS 4 ALL" on chalkboards. The festival also included an exhibition titled "Grrrl Germs: Punk feminism goes viral 1991-2026" curated by Astria Suparak. Grace Slevin, an attendee, said people mobilize when they feel connected to a group, asking what is better than music for creating that connection.

Melinda French Gates praised Rodrigo's impact. "Olivia Rodrigo is a force. What Daisy Chain Fields sets in motion will last far beyond a single night, by opening up opportunity for women and girls around the world and showing a new generation how much their voices matter," Gates said.

"I’m so proud to support Olivia’s vision." Sonya Passi, founder of FreeFrom, said a day built around care and community is a statement when decisions about bodies and futures are made by others. Ai-jen Poo, President of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, said the joyful atmosphere reminded women that they have each other.

Rodrigo reflected on the experience in an interview. "I was like, this is exactly what I envisioned it to be," she said. "The whole thing was just joyful from start to finish." She noted that the antidote to feeling alone and overwhelmed is joy and community.

"I feel like I’m dreaming. This is the best day of my fuckin’ life!" Rodrigo said during her public address, using profanity to express her excitement.

Rodrigo announced plans for the Daisy Chain Fields festival to return in 2027. She stated that the name served as a reminder of how individual parts come together to create something strong and unbreakable. The North American leg of Rodrigo's Unraveled Tour begins Sept. 25, 2026, in Hartford, Conn. And runs through February 2027.

Why It Matters

The Daisy Chain Fields festival raised $20 million for organizations supporting women and girls, with Melinda French Gates matching half of that amount through Pivotal. The event demonstrated the capacity of music festivals to generate charitable contributions while showing issues such as reproductive rights and bodily autonomy. Rodrigo cited the historical context of Lilith Fair and noted that women had more bodily autonomy in America during that era than they do currently.

The festival provided a platform for discussing political policies perceived as hostile to women, with performers and attendees expressing solidarity. Beneficiaries included major organizations such as Planned Parenthood and the National Women's Law Center, indicating a broad focus on legal, health, and social support for women. The rapid ticket sales and large attendance figure suggested strong public interest in female-centric cultural events that combine entertainment with activism.

Timeline

Sarah McLachlan co-founded the Lilith Fair touring festival in the 1990s. Olivia Rodrigo signed with Geffen Records in 2020. Olivia Rodrigo released her debut album Sour in 2021.

Olivia Rodrigo won three Grammy Awards in 2022, including best new artist, best pop vocal album, and best pop solo performance. The Trump administration used Olivia Rodrigo's song all-american bitch in a November 2025 video showing immigration arrests and promoting self-deportation. Olivia Rodrigo released the album you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love in June 2026. Olivia Rodrigo announced the Daisy Chain Fields festival on June 22, 2026. Tickets for the Daisy Chain Fields festival sold out within 30 minutes of going on sale.

What's New

Melinda French Gates stated, "Olivia Rodrigo is a force. What Daisy Chain Fields sets in motion will last far beyond a single night, by opening up opportunity for women and girls around the world and showing a new generation how much their voices matter. I’m so proud to support Olivia’s vision." Olivia Rodrigo stated, "Daisy Chain Fields was created to celebrate the power of what can happen when we come together to support one another." Olivia Rodrigo stated, "Without Lilith Fair, there would be no Daisy Chain." She stated, "Daisy Chain Fields is about what can happen when we come together and use our collective power to support one another. I’m incredibly grateful to Melinda and Pivotal for believing in this mission and making the impact of our first festival twice as powerful. Most of all, I’m so excited about what this means for the incredible organizations we’re supporting and the women, girls and communities they show up for every single day. Olivia Rodrigo held the inaugural Daisy Chain Fields music festival on August 29, 2026, in Irvine, California, and it raised $20 million for organizations supporting women and girls. Olivia Rodrigo stated, That's actually why I fell in love with the name 'Daisy Chain.' It served as a reminder of how individual parts can come together to create something strong and unbreakable." Kathleen Hanna stated, "A lot of us feel like this government f****** hates us and wants us dead. They don't give a s*** about anybody's healthcare. They don't care if we die in parking lots of curable illnesses. They don't care if our rights are taken away. They're ripping people off the streets. It makes it hard for me in my body sometimes to have a good time 'cause it's hard to turn it off. And I was thinking on the way here, what a gift to be able to play for you. What a gift Olivia has given all of us to do this festival." She stated, "I feel like I’m dreaming. This is the best day of my fuckin’ life!"

How Sources Differ

Regarding details about Daisy Chain Fields, Melinda French Gates stated, Olivia Rodrigo is a force. What Daisy Chain Fields sets in motion will last far beyond a single night, by opening up opportunity for women and girls around the world and showing a new generation how much their voices matter. The Daisy Chain Fields financial report stated that the festival raised a total of $20 million for 10 nonprofit organizations supporting women and girls. Regarding details about Daisy Chain Fields, Olivia Rodrigo stated, Daisy Chain Fields was created to celebrate the power of what can happen when we come together to support one another." Rollingstone.com reported that Olivia Rodrigo held the inaugural Daisy Chain Fields music festival on August 29, 2026, in Irvine, California, and it raised $20 million for organizations supporting women and girls."

Regarding details about Olivia Rodrigo, Olivia Rodrigo stated, "Without Lilith Fair, there would be no Daisy Chain." Rollingstone.com reported that Olivia Rodrigo held the inaugural Daisy Chain Fields music festival on August 29, 2026, in Irvine, California, and it raised $20 million for organizations supporting women and girls. Regarding details about Daisy Chain Fields, Olivia Rodrigo stated, "Daisy Chain Fields is about what can happen when we come together and use our collective power to support one another. I’m incredibly grateful to Melinda and Pivotal for believing in this mission and making the impact of our first festival twice as powerful." NME.com reported that the Daisy Chain Fields festival, held on August 29, 2026, in Irvine, California, raised $20 million for organizations supporting women and girls, with Melinda French Gates matching $10 million. Regarding details about Daisy Chain Fields, Olivia Rodrigo stated, "Daisy Chain Fields is about what can happen when we come together and use our collective power to support one another. I’m incredibly grateful to Melinda and Pivotal for believing in this mission and making the impact of our first festival twice as powerful. The Daisy Chain Fields financial report stated that the festival raised a total of $20 million for 10 nonprofit organizations supporting women and girls. Regarding details about Daisy Chain Fields, Olivia Rodrigo stated, Daisy Chain Fields is about what can happen when we come together and use our collective power to support one another. I’m incredibly grateful to Melinda and Pivotal for believing in this mission and making the impact of our first festival twice as powerful." Daisy Chain Fields ticketing data showed that tickets for the festival sold out within 30 minutes of going on sale. Regarding details about Olivia Rodrigo, rollingstone.com reported that Olivia Rodrigo held the inaugural Daisy Chain Fields music festival on August 29, 2026, in Irvine, California, and it raised $20 million for organizations supporting women and girls. She stated, "Women in the music industry have come so far. And, we're headlining festivals and so many of the old misogynistic rules of the music industry have changed. But also at the time of Lilith Fair, women had more bodily autonomy in America than they do now."