Olivia Rodrigo is reflecting on the emotional impact of Daisy Chain Fields after the inaugural festival she founded came to life at Great Park in Irvine, California. In a heartfelt Instagram post, Rodrigo described seeing the women-led event unfold as “the greatest joy of my career” and shared a message about community, hope and the people who helped turn her vision into reality.
Rodrigo shared a photo with Jaime Gerin alongside a lengthy reflection on Sunday, one day after Daisy Chain Fields welcomed roughly 45,000 people for its sold-out debut. The festival, inspired by Sarah McLachlan’s Lilith Fair, brought together an all-women or women-fronted lineup featuring Chappell Roan, Doechii, Mitski, Bikini Kill, the Breeders and Garbage, with special appearances from McLachlan, Alanis Morissette and Stevie Nicks.
Your daily dose of music news, trends, and fresh drops.
InMusic Newsletter
Olivia Rodrigo highlighted the atmosphere throughout the day, recalling “riot grrl mosh pits,” friendship bracelets being made on the grass and young fans watching performances from their parents’ shoulders. She also described walking around the festival grounds with friends after the crowd had left, taking in what had happened before ending the night at Yoko Ono’s “Wish Tree” installation near the entrance.
Festivalgoers were invited to write their wishes on tags and attach them to the tree’s branches. Rodrigo said the messages ranged from playful hopes about pets and hair to a much broader desire for peace, happiness and the ability to make a difference. That experience, she explained, helped crystallize why Daisy Chain Fields had become so meaningful to her.
The event also carried a significant charitable mission. Artists performed without fees, while 100% of net proceeds were designated for organizations supporting reproductive rights, maternal health, economic empowerment and gender equity. The festival generated $10 million in initial funds, with Melinda French Gates later matching the amount to bring the total to $20 million.
Olivia Rodrigo’s own closing performance provided one of the festival’s defining moments. Her 80-minute set on the Dandelion Stage moved between new material from her June album You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love and favorites from Sour and Guts, including “Bad Idea Right?,” “Good 4 U” and “Deja Vu.”
She also performed “Serena Joy,” her Handmaid’s Tale-inspired charity single that was released specifically to support Daisy Chain Fields. The song had initially been issued as a limited run of 500 CDs at Analog Record Shop in Tustin before arriving on streaming services on Aug. 24, with Rodrigo bringing it to the festival stage just days later.
The final stretch of the performance became a series of tributes to women who influenced Rodrigo. McLachlan joined her for “Building a Mystery” and “Angel,” with the latter dedicated to Dolly Parton, while Alanis Morissette stepped in for Karen O and performed “Ironic.” Nicks then joined Rodrigo for Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide,” closing the night with a generational duet that left Rodrigo visibly emotional.
“joy is a part of the solution,” Rodrigo wrote near the end of her post, before promising to return for another edition next year.
Photo: Olivia Rodrigo/Instagram
Leave a Reply