Popstar Olivia Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields music festival held in Irvine, California on Aug. 29 raised $20 million to benefit nonprofits supporting reproductive health and women’s issues.
Planned Parenthood, Baby2Baby and the National Women’s Law Center were among the ten beneficiaries.
The festival, inspired by Sarah McLachlan’s Lilith Fair that ran from 1997-99 to protest the misogynistic music industry of the 90s, featured an all-woman lineup including music legends Stevie Nicks and Alanis Morissette, pop stars Chappell Roan and Doechii as well as rising artists like Eli and Devon Again.
More than 45,000 fans attended, making the festival the biggest showcase of female-led artists since Lilith Fair in 1999.
Much of the praise for the festival came from how it was organized.
While the musical acts were at the forefront of the major event, the nonprofits acted as an ingrained part of the festival’s identity as well.
Festival activities included crafting, brand pop-ups and a philanthropy village set up with information booths related to social causes.
What made the Daisy Chain Fields festival so inclusive was its ability to shine a light on all its performances.
Unlike typical festivals where the sets of artists overlap, each musician performed at different times, making it possible for audiences to catch each one.
Additionally, the promotional poster listed names in alphabetical order rather than by prominence.
The festival also covered all travel expenses for each performer to ensure a balance between smaller and established artists.
That type of attention to detail allowed Rodrigo’s festival to provide not only entertainment, but foster a sense of equality and belonging among performers and attendees.
As female artists continue to gain exposure and rise in popularity, it’s clear that there is a need for spaces that celebrate them and the audiences listening to them.
Notorious for pitting women against one another, the male-dominated music industry has consistently been called out for its treatment of female artists.
At only 23-years-old, Rodrigo pulled off a major achievement for women in the music industry.
With the popularity and media attention it garnered, the festival demonstrated the commercial importance of female artists despite the sidelining they continue to face.
Wrapping up the festivities on stage, Rodrigo addressed the crowd and announced she’d be seeing them next year.
