Olivia Rodrigo’s inaugural Daisy Chain Fields was always going to be a big deal — a sold-out, all-women festival with zero overlapping sets and a lineup stacked enough to make FOMO physically impossible. Turns out the festival delivered on that promise, and then saved its most emotional moment for the very end of the night.
The lineup: a genuinely stacked, no-skip day
The full bill lived up to the hype: Bikini Kill, Devon Again, Die Spitz, Eli, Garbage, Mitski, Not For Radio, Quiet Light, Rachel Chinouriri, Santigold, The Breeders, Doechii and Chappell Roan all played, alongside Rodrigo herself headlining.
True to the festival’s whole premise, the schedule was built with zero overlapping sets across the day, meaning anyone with a ticket genuinely got to see every single act; no sprinting between stages, no impossible choices!
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One of the biggest concerns on the day for festivalgoers was the heat. Irvine hit a peak 93 °F and the humidity made the Great Park grounds feel a bit like you were seeing a concert on the face of the sun! That said, the venue and programmers did their best to provide relief. Refillable water stations were available throughout the park and fans were permitted to bring their own reusable bottles from home. Fear not if you forgot your bottle — there was also an iconic Daisy Chain water bottle for sale on site that sold out pretty quickly, among all the other merch!
Fans could also get a break from the heat inside the Daisy Chain Reaction Village which housed activations for the 10 non-profits the festival was supporting. It gave attendees the chance to engage directly with the event’s nonprofit partners throughout the day, learning about issues spanning reproductive rights, maternal health, economic empowerment, domestic violence prevention and gender equity. Fans could support the organizations, collect each one’s special pin for their Daisy Chain tote, and celebrate the power of women. The festival also spotlighted women-led businesses (right down to the food vendors on -site) and visual artists through community art installations across the grounds. Most importantly, the festival raised $10 Million to support these organizations thanks to every performer waiving their fee, plus Melinda French Gates made a surprise appearance to announce matching the funds, totaling $20 Million or $2M per charity.
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Lastly, there were also brand activations that offered shade and seating, phone charging stations, and interactive experiences like shoelace charm making from Brooks running shoes, lemonade and baja breeze drinks to cool down from Taco Bell, and recycled clothing including hats and bandanas from Depop, and more!
The surprise guests everyone’s talking about
Rodrigo’s closing set turned into a proper legends showcase. Rodrigo had publicly shared that Sarah McLachlan, founder of Lillith Fair, was her inspiration for the festival and the first person she contacted when planning Daisy Chain, so it was only fitting that she joined Olivia on stage for a duet of McLachlan’s hit “Building A Mystery.”
The pair also sang “Angel” as a tribute to the queen of country Dolly Parton, who passed away earlier this week, noting not only her legendary music career but her leadership in supporting women’s rights through her life. There was not a dry eye in the venue, including ours!
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While announcing that planned special guest Karen O (lead vocalist of the band Yeah Yeah Yeahs) had a personal emergency and was no longer able to attend, Olivia asked fans to send her love and positive energy… then she also announced she was keeping a secret from the audience. That secret was none other than feminist icon Alanis Morissette.
Morissette took to the stage and performed a duet of her women’s anthem “Ironic” in a moment that had 45,000 fans erupting in pure joy!
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As if the headlining performance hadn’t already delivered an epic evening, Olivia closed the show by inviting music legend Steve Nicks to the stage. Nicks shared a personal tribute to the Olivia and the work she is doing, then belted out her timeless song “Landslide” in her signature raspy voice with Olivia singing beside her. It was a genuinely moving moment to close out the night, and one that fit the spirit of a festival built entirely around women supporting women, past and present.
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A mission built to outlast one day
In the festival’s official mission statement, Daisy Chain Fields describes itself as more than a concert: “Daisy Chain Fields is a music festival founded on the belief that joy, community, and creativity can inspire meaningful change… Daisies are wild and beautiful. As a chain, they are strong and unbreakable.” After a first year featuring generational talent, a Dolly Parton send-off, and a genuinely emotional finale, it’s hard to argue with that framing. In fact, as we looked around the venue, we couldn’t help but notice how many women, mothers, friends, and allies danced and sang arm in arm in expressions of pure pride and celebration of feminine power.
For a festival that hadn’t even happened once before this weekend, Daisy Chain Fields left a serious mark, and if this is what year one looks like, it’s easy to see this becoming an annual fixture at Great Park in Irvine.
If Olivia’s final thank you to fans is any indication, she vowed to see fans back at the festival next year. She also told festivalgoers, “Hey guys, this is the besting fucking night of my life,” a sentiment the women and men in the audience alike, echoed in return.
The post Inside Daisy Chain Fields: A Stacked Lineup, Surprise Legends, and a Dolly Parton Tribute That Stole the Night appeared first on Press Pass LA.
