Overview
- The one-day Daisy Chain Fields festival at Great Park in Irvine on Saturday, Aug. 29 drew an estimated 45,000 people and raised $10 million for ten nonprofits before Melinda French Gates pledged an onstage $10 million match to bring the announced total to $20 million.
- Organizers say every performer waived fees so 100 percent of net proceeds will go to Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields Fund and to named partners such as Planned Parenthood, the National Women’s Law Center, Black Mamas Matter Alliance and Baby2Baby, with formal distribution of funds still to be finalized.
- The bill spanned generations and genres with acts including Bikini Kill, The Breeders, Garbage, Mitski, Doechii and Chappell Roan, and Rodrigo closed with surprise guest appearances from Sarah McLachlan, Alanis Morissette and Stevie Nicks that included a tribute to Dolly Parton.
- Attendees reported extreme late‑August heat in the mid‑30s Celsius that shaped the day but festival design elements such as staggered set times, Yoko Ono’s Wish Tree, Guerrilla Girls installations and wellness stations contributed to a deliberately female‑centered, intergenerational atmosphere.
- Built on the Lilith Fair legacy, the festival positions culture-driven fundraising as a model to watch while organizers address next steps such as auditing attendance, completing donations to partners and planning a confirmed return next year.