The summer heat fuses your slip dress to your sticky skin as you wait in a long line with anticipation — it’s July 5, 1997, and you’re at the sold-out launch of Lilith Fair, a celebration of women in music. You’ve never seen this many women share one space before, and you’re overcome with a feeling that they could all become your best friends. A stranger in a crocheted bikini top and butterfly clips offers up her sunscreen for your crimsoning shoulders, and together, you bond over your excitement to see Fiona Apple, Tracy Chapman, Sheryl Crow and countless other chart-topping female artists play back to back to back — something that was unprecedented in the music industry.
Nearly three decades later, pop princess Olivia Rodrigo is carrying this spirit of female solidarity on with the launch of her new festival, Daisy Chain Fields, taking place Aug. 29 at Great Park in Irvine, California.
“Lilith Fair was a huge inspiration in me starting this festival,” Rodrigo said during a recent appearance on Good Morning America. “The first person that I called when I decided that I wanted to do this festival was Sarah McLachlan. She’s a total trailblazer and an incredible artist and a friend.”
McLachlan founded Lilith Fair to challenge ‘90s-industry norms that didn’t allow two women to play on the same bill or consecutively on the radio. For the first time, women took center stage, featuring roughly 300 diverse female artists throughout its three-year run. Lilith Fair broke records and barriers, quickly becoming the highest-grossing festival in 1997. Over 1.5 million people attended Lilith Fair from 1997 to 1999, bringing in over $52 million — $10 million of which was donated to women’s charities.
Like Lilith Fair, Daisy Chain Fields includes a genre-defying lineup of all-female artists from varied backgrounds. Curated by Olivia herself, the lineup features legendary Riot Grrrl rockers Bikini Kill alongside up-and-coming global pop girl group KATSEYE and acclaimed singer-songwriter Mitski. Daisy Chain Fields is teeming with incredible female artists — and they’re all performing for free.
All proceeds from the festival will be donated to nonprofits benefiting women and girls. Like the performers, Daisy Chain Fields’ 10 nonprofit partners are widely varied, tackling meaningful causes across maternal health, reproductive rights, gender-based violence, economic freedom and racial equity.
In addition to the performances, Daisy Chain Fields will feature a marketplace of local female vendors, educational resources and art installations intended to inspire community engagement and connection among attendees.
“I just like the idea of a daisy chain and how we can all be individual links in this chain that is larger than the individual,” Rodrigo told Good Morning America. “[Daisy chains] are surprisingly strong and beautiful.”
Sold out in just 30 minutes, Daisy Chain Fields is a testament to the demand for female-driven spaces like the Lilith Fair — even decades later.
Sign up for the ticket waitlist or donate to Daisy Chain Fields’ cohort of nonprofit partners here.
Graphic by Emma Ransom
Read more about the lineup below:
Bikini Kill carved a space for women in punk music in the 90s, pioneering the Riot Grrrl movement and the term “girl power.” Bikini Kill created a network of feminist voices through fan zines and used music as a means of cultural resistance, inspiring women through their abrasive and passionate performances that brought “all girls to the front.”
Chappell Roan surged to stardom while opening for Olivia Rodrigo on her Guts tour. Today, the rhinestone-studded pop princess is known for her vibrant, campy performances, 80s-esque synth-pop beats, powerhouse vocals and outspoken persona. Roan’s music explores her lesbian identity and experiences, paying homage to queer nightlife and drag.
Die Spitz is an all-female rock band from Austin, Texas, consisting of lifelong friends Ava Schrobilgen, Chloe De St. Aubin, Eleanor Livingston and Kate Halter. At just 22 years old, the group released their debut album, Something to Consume, last year, combining punk, hardcore, metal and alt rock influences for a sound that is guttural and visceral. The group has contagious on-stage energy, featuring cartwheeling and crowdsurfing that they’re bringing to Olivia Rodrigo’s Unraveled tour as well as Daisy Chain Fields.
Doechii rounds out the Daisy Chain Fields lineup, bringing rap and hip hop to the stage. The self-proclaimed “swamp princess” is critically acclaimed for her razor-sharp flow and detail-oriented, dynamic performances. In 2025, Doechii became the third woman to win the Grammy for “Best Rap Album” for her record Alligator Bites Never Heal.
Eli’s dream of pop stardom was born from watching reality singing competition shows from her living room floor in the suburbs of Massachusetts. Her debut album, Stage Girl, lets this dream take center stage, exploring childhood trauma through glittery pop and the story of a fictional reality contestant. Eli may not have won American Idol or X Factor, but she’s bound to win hearts at Daisy Chain Fields.
Garbage’s atmospheric, textured alternative rock became a hallmark of the sound of the 90’s: trip-hop beats, heavily distorted guitar riffs and dark, raspy vocals. Their self-titled debut album in 1994 cemented the group as a force to be reckoned with and frontwoman Shirley Manson as the “godmother of rock.”
KATSEYE began on the reality competition show Dream Academy and is made up of contestants Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Manon Bannerman, Megan Skiendiel, Sophia Laforteza and Yoonchae Jeung, representing a mosaic of cultures worldwide. The project combines the K-pop formula with Western pop to create a global girl group. The girls’ addictive, synchronic performances and hard-hitting EDM beats leave audiences in a hypnotic trance.
Mitski explores themes of identity, diaspora and romantic yearning through introspective songwriting that transcends genre, pulling from art pop, indie rock and folk influences. Lush orchestral instrumentation blooms around Mitski’s tender vocal, accentuating her vulnerable lyricism. Her live performances feature performance art and stripped-back choreography, creating an immersive experience for audiences.
Not For Radio is the solo project of María Zardoya of The Marías. Her debut album Melt draws upon atmospheric, dream pop influences, reminiscent of classics like Mazzy Star. Zardoya’s haunting, aerial vocals stand out over ambient instrumentals, like a fog gliding above calm ocean waters.
Olivia Rodrigo has always shown admiration for and paid homage to eclectic 80s and 90s inspiration throughout her music, recently collaborating with Robert Smith of The Cure and David Byrne of Talking Heads — so it’s no shocker she’s put such a versatile festival together. Rodrigo began as an actress on Disney, but has since transcended her Disney identity through her confessional pop-rock. With the recent release of her third album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, Rodrigo showcases her well-crafted storytelling, detailing a relationship that flourishes and then sours.
Quiet Light is the highly experimental project of Riya Mahesh, combining electronic folk, house and bedroom pop influences for a sound that feels like being bathed in soft light. The Quiet Light listening experience is much like stumbling upon a secret fairy circle turned dance party, as Mahesh’s breathy vocals float over the strobe of pulsating beats.
Rachel Chinouriri is an English alternative pop singer-songwriter who has collaborated with rising stars PinkPantheress and Sombr. Her tracks explore sensitivity and heartbreak, with falsetto vocals, airy synths and glimmering guitars. Chinouriri is an advocate for Black artists across genres, making room for Black voices in the world of indie pop.
The Breeders formed out of The Pixies’ Kim Deal’s frustration with her suppressed creative energy and desire to showcase her own musical style. Combining forces with Throwing Muses’ Tanya Donelly, The Breeders made a splash in the 90’s alternative rock revolution.
As a cherry on top, Daisy Chain Fields will also feature iconic special guests Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the legendary Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac and singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan, the reigning queen of the Lilith Fair herself.
