Daisy Chain Fields, Olivia Rodrigo's women-led festival, was a powerful statement of female empowerment and a celebration of the past, present, and future of women's music. The event, held in Irvine, California, brought together an intergenerational group of performers, including Lilith Fair founder Sarah McLachlan and pop star Olivia Rodrigo, who led the festival with a mission to support women's causes and promote female-led music. The festival's proceeds went to organizations like the Center for Reproductive Rights and the National Women's Law Center, reflecting Rodrigo's consistent outspokenness about abortion access and her musical heroes. The event was a testament to the power of women-led music and the importance of supporting female-led causes.
One of the most striking aspects of the festival was the emphasis on female empowerment and the celebration of women's achievements. The stages were visually framed by giant buttons evoking the aesthetic of 1970s women's liberation, bearing slogans like 'Bans Off Our Bodies' and 'Reproductive Rights Are Human Rights'. The festival also featured an exhibition, 'Grrrl Germs: Punk feminism goes viral 1991-2026', curated by the artist Astria Suparak, presenting artifacts of DIY feminist punk and serving as a defacto cooling center. The festival's mission clearly incited artists to speak out onstage, with performers like Bikini Kill and Doechii using their platforms to advocate for women's rights and social justice.
The festival also featured a zine, the Daisy Chain Fields Zine, which was available at the merch stands for a suggested donation. The zine was filled with interviews, essays, and archival ephemera, including a scan from Breeders bassist Josephine Wiggs' 1992 journal and a treatise from writer Rayne Fisher-Quann about female friendship that critiques pop-feminism and quotes Marxist philosopher Antonio Gramsci. The zine was a tangible reminder of the festival's mission and a call to action for young people to continue the fight for women's rights and social justice.
Overall, Daisy Chain Fields was a powerful statement of female empowerment and a celebration of the past, present, and future of women's music. The festival's emphasis on female-led music and the celebration of women's achievements was a refreshing change from the patriarchal music industry that has long dominated the industry. The event was a testament to the power of women-led music and the importance of supporting female-led causes, and it left a lasting impression on those who attended.
