Overview
- Rodrigo staged the inaugural, all-women Daisy Chain Fields at Great Park in Irvine on Aug. 29 with an estimated 45,000 attendees and surprise guest turns from Sarah McLachlan, Alanis Morissette and Stevie Nicks.
- Organizers announced $10 million raised through ticketing, waived artist fees and onsite donations and philanthropist Melinda French Gates matched that total onstage to bring the announced commitment to $20 million.
- The $20 million will be divided equally among ten named beneficiary organizations, including Planned Parenthood, the National Women’s Law Center and Black Mamas Matter Alliance.
- The festival combined music with arts and advocacy through installations by women artists, an educational pathway and nonprofit booths, and performers waived fees to maximize charitable proceeds.
- Reviewers and attendees praised the festival’s feminist, intergenerational programming but noted practical problems such as extreme heat, long food and shade lines, and traffic that are common for first-time outdoor events.