Written by Keira Eveland and Gabrio Miranda, Staff Writers
“Daisies are wild and beautiful. As a chain, they are strong and unbreakable,” Olivia Rodrigo writes on the Daisy Chain Fields website.
Those words describe the nature of Daisy Chain Fields, an American music festival held at Great Park in Irvine, California, which debuted on August 29, 2026. Founded by the female pop-star, Olivia Rodrigo, it runs with the intention of raising money for nonprofit organizations that support and advocate for women and girls.
The land the music festival was held on is “more than a park, the Great Park is a gathering place for Irvine and Southern California, shaped by history, designed by connection, and built for experiences still to come,” according to the Daisy Chain Fields website.
Not only is the park beautiful, so was the stage design. It featured two stages, the Marigold Stage and the Dandelion Stage. Both stages were covered in bright colors, a whimsical, feminine aesthetic, and adorned with giant pins. These pins featured images of flowers, feminine symbols, peace signs, and the representations of the nonprofit organizations Daisy Chain supports.
The festival lineup consisted of only female artists and bands, such as Bikini Kill, Chappell Roan, Doechii, Mitski, and Die Spitz. There were also a few special guests: Sarah McLachlan, a solo artist, and Stevie Nicks from Fleetwood Mac. Each artist brought their own unique sound and vibe to the festival, offering a wide variety of genres to the Daisy Chain crowd. Everyone who performed came together to celebrate, support, and uplift women and girls with music, while 100% of the money raised from the festival was donated to nonprofit organizations.
As of August 31, 2026, up to $20 million was raised and evenly distributed among 10 nonprofit organizations. Although, it’s important to note that Melinda Gates – American philanthropist, feminist, and donor to the festival – contributed $10 million to the overall payout.
On the Daisy Chain website, the nonprofits being supported are listed as: Planned Parenthood, Baby2Baby, Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Center for Reproductive Rights, FreeFrom, Jhpiego, Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Institute for Reproductive Health, and the National Women’s Law Center.
The sponsors and partners of this year’s Daisy Chain Fields festival range across a multitude of different industries popular in today’s society, such as: Athleta, Brooks, Verizon, Depop, Taco Bell, LEGO, and Etsy.
To the people of California, this event was a big deal both financially and culturally. In fact, around 45,000 people attended the event. Interestingly enough, it was referred to as a ‘Zoomer Lilith Fair’ due to the all-female, women-led lineup of special icons. Of course, while this point was previously established, it’s important to emphasize the $20 million in non-profit revenue and direct funding that was raised and donated.
This year’s Daisy Chain Fields festival crushed the expectations; it was the renewal of activism, whilst uniting Gen-Z icons and previously established musicians to create breathtaking performances. The entire event is like a trojan horse for gender justice.