Queer pop stars, A-list allies and $20 million: How Olivia Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields set a new festival standard
Lilith Fair's heir apparent was such a gay affair, even surprise guest Alanis Morissette felt compelled to update some classic lyrics: "It's [like] meeting the man of my dreams, and then meeting his beautiful... husband."
Mark
The same week the world mourns the loss of our dear Saint Dolly Parton, Olivia Rodrigo showed us how to truly keep the late icon’s spirit alive: by being a total f*cking mensch.
Yes, the philanthropic country queen’s memory loomed large over the inaugural Daisy Chain Fields—Rodrgio’s all female-fronted festival benefitting nonprofits that support & protect women’s rights—and sometimes quite literally: During the closing set, special guest Sarah McLachlan played her classic “Angel” in tribute to Parton, after which the late legend’s image lingered on screen, towering over a teary-eyed audience.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves a bit. Queerty was there for a truly incredible day filled with joy—and sweat. As temperatures in Irvine, CA reached the upper 90s, coupled with Southern California’s uncharacteristically humid late summer, the mood could perhaps best be summed up by one of Rodrigo’s lyrics: “Damn, it’s brutal out here.”
How about we take this to the next level?
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Still, the festival did a fantastic job of turning the urban park into an oasis, one with complementary water refill stations and shaded areas to cool off in, not to mention plenty of colorful flower decorations that gave the grounds an easy, breezy vibe. (Though, if we have one complaint about the day, it’s that they could’ve had more food options—waiting in those long lines in the hot sun was no joke!)
The scene was technically set the day prior, when Rodrigo held a press conference where she announced that, thanks to the festival’s success, she’d be donating a whopping $10 million to its nonprofit partners like Planned Parenthood, the National Women’s Law Center, and other organizations that back women’s health, fight for reproductive rights and work to put an end to gender-based violence.
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And, of course, the queer & trans communities are included within that umbrella, which Daisy Chain and its phenomenal, inclusive lineup made sure everyone was aware of, welcoming us all in in the spirit of intersectionality.
That was clear from the jump when trans pop star Eli was the first to take the Dandelion stage, technically the “main” stage with a much larger field to accompany the day’s growing crowds. As a rising singer-songwriter who only just dropped her debut album last fall, she was no doubt gagged to be there, occasionally making reference to how nervous she was.
But that didn’t come across in her performance, which—anxious laughter and a few cathartic screams aside—was lively and confident as she danced and sang through her infectious repertoire, from the ballads (“Glitter”) to the bangers (“F*ck the DJ”), which had an enthusiastic audience singing along to every word.
Eli has announced a $15,000 donation to two nonprofit organizations supporting women and girls in support of Daisy Chain Fields. pic.twitter.com/l7IwhKfcFN— Olivia Rodrigo Data (@rodrigosdata) August 29, 2026
While the set was mostly all funs and gays games, Eli also took a moment to share she was donating a total $30k of her own record label advance to two of the festival’s nonprofit partners, before reading a fiery pre-written speech that spelled out the real message behind the fest’s gleeful girlhood aesthetic quite plainly:
“This is not to make you think that I am good, it’s not to make you believe that I am real; this ‘journal entry’ is to show you my fundamental belief: that we must redistribute wealth, we must love our neighbors no matter what they believe or don’t, we must unite with each other and radicalize. Eat the identity politics that deceive and divide us all, as well as eating the rich! Tear down the ruling class and achieve heaven on earth, collective harmony, and freedom for every single living human being. I believe in that future more than I have believed in my ability to write enough good pop songs in my bedroom to be on this stage, girl!”
That unabashed call-to-action was echoed throughout the day, especially on the other stage, the Marigold, where many legacy rock acts performed to spirited crowds, like The Breeders, Garbage, and Bikini Kill, who—in true riot girrrl fashion—didn’t mince words when underlining Daisy Chain’s importance at this moment in time: “This government hates us and wants us dead.”
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Others just wanted to make sure we had a blast, and holy sh*t did Doechii deliver on that front, taking the stage with a body fully painted pink, glittery pigtailed hair, and a smile you could probably see from the other side of the festival grounds. As she blazed through her set with a fierce flow, the out rapper made sure to pause her performance of house-indebted hit “Persuasive” to ask, “Where my gays at?” Unsurprisingly, the audience roared in response.
Ugh, what a superstar.
Speaking of superstars, Chappell Roan was next, introduced by actress/DJ/creator Star Amerasu, who was thrilled to remind us that the queer Midwest Princess has been fighting for the community her entire career, “gays and trans united.”
Sporting a c*nty bob and a lilac look straight out of Glamazonian Airways (it was technically a reference to the Jean Paul Gaultier-designed stewardess outfits in sci-fi fave The Fifth Element), she opened, appropriately, with the one-two punch of “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl” and “Femininomenon” before leading the tens of thousands of us in her now-signature “HOT TO GO!” dance-along.
And she really didn’t take her foot off the gas/our necks. “Only the hits today,” she said at one point, to which we all audibly wondered, “Wait, which Chappell Roan songs aren’t hits?”
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Olivia Rodrigo & special guests end the day on a high note
Then it was time for the main event. Olivia Rodrigo took the stage solo to thank everyone for being part of what she called the best day of her life. She was also clearly moved to welcome philanthropist & ally Melinda French Gates (apparently her ex is some guy named Bill?), who pledged to match the initial Daisy Chain Fields donation, raising the total to a staggering $20 million. Pretty incredible, right?
The business out of the way, it was time to rock, and Rodrigo tore through a gauntlet of bops, including many standout tracks from her latest acclaimed album You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl ISo n Love. When it was time to slow it down, she brought out the queen of adult contemporary, Sarah McLachlan, to sing both “Building A Mystery” and the aforementioned “Angel,” in tribute to Dolly Parton.
Considering McLachlan’s trailblazing Lilith Fair was the mother of all female-fronted festivals, it felt like a true passing of the torch. So did a later moment when Alanis Morrisette made a surprise appearance, bridging the gap between two generations of pop-rock bad*sses, to the delight of all of us who remember the ’90s like they were yesterday.
The pair linked up to perform eternal hit “Ironic,” which at one point received a key lyric update from Morrissette: “It’s [like] meeting the man of my dreams, and then meeting his beautiful… husband” which she added has happened “so many times.” What can we say? She has great taste in men!
Before the set came to an end, a stagehand walked out another mic stand draped in black fabrics and we knew: it was time to see the head of our coven. Stevie Nicks arrived and the two launched into a climactic rendition of “Landslide,” leaving not a single dry eye on the field. It was nothing short of life-changing.
After a few supportive words from Nicks that had Rodrigo blushing and beaming, the pair said their goodbyes before the young star offered a sly, “See you next year!,” confirming this was no one-off event.
We don’t think we’re overhyping to say the history—excuse us, herstory—was made this past weekend at Daisy Chain Fields. And now that we know the festival is returning, we’re thrilled that Rodrigo & Co. have established a very queer precedent, one that not only welcomed our community, but actively and openly uplifted & supported us.
Now when do ticket for Daisy Chain ’27 go on sale?
Head here to learn more about this year’s festival & the many nonprofit organizations it benefitted.
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