During a press conference ahead of today’s inaugural Daisy Chain Fields festival, Olivia Rodrigo revealed it would be donating $10 million to its non-profit partners.
Inspired by the Lilith Fair music festivals of the ’90s, the single-day event will kick off later today (August 29) at Great Park in Irvine, California. It’s set to bring together a line-up of women and female-fronted artists across two stages, alongside non-profit and community-focused organisations, with sets from Chappell Roan, Bikini Kill, Doechii, Garbage and more.
Rodrigo will be performing at the festival, with the line-up also set to include Mitski, The Breeders, Santigold, Rachel Chinouriri, Die Spitz, Eli, Not For Radio and Quiet Light. Special guests Karen O, Sarah McLachlan and Stevie Nicks are also on the bill.
Speaking about the imminent event, Rodrigo said it was “created to celebrate the power of what can happen when we come together to support one another,” per The Hollywood Reporter.
“The organisations we’ve partnered with are doing incredibly important work every single day in the US and globally. I’m so grateful to every person who bought a ticket, every artist who waived their fee, every sponsor for signing onto a brand new festival and every donation that helped get to $10 million dollars to support women and girls.
“I can’t wait to see everyone tomorrow.”
Proceeds will go to non-profit organisations dedicated to supporting and advocating for women and girls, with partners including Baby2Baby, Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Center For Reproductive Rights, FreeFrom, Johns Hopkins Center For Indigenous Health, National Women’s Law Center and Planned Parenthood. You can find out more about the work of the organisations here.
Today’s festival will also offer attendees educational resources and community art experiences, as well as fan pop-ups and immersive installations, with a focus on reproductive rights, maternal health, economic empowerment, domestic violence prevention and gender equity.
Olivia Rodrigo has long used her platform to speak out in defence of reproductive rights and against anti-abortion laws. In early 2024, she launched a reproductive rights initiative “to support all women, girls and people seeking reproductive health freedom”, and confirmed that “a portion of all of the proceeds from ticket sales of the ‘Guts’ world tour” would go to the fund.
That year also saw her make headlines for handing out contraceptive kits with condoms, Plan Bs, and information for abortion access at her shows in Missouri, which banned almost all abortions in 2022.
However, the move angered several Republican figures, including a “horrified” Missouri State Senator Bill Eigel, who said Rodrigo “should be ashamed” for “championing abortion”. Local abortion organisers later said they were no longer allowed to hand out contraceptive kits at the concerts.
Before then, Rodrigo used her performance at Glastonbury 2022 to bring out Lily Allen to dedicate ‘Fuck You’ to the US Supreme Court Justices – which overturned a 50-year-old law that guaranteed women in the US the right to terminate a pregnancy – and said that “our bodies should never be in the hands of politicians”.
Earlier this week, KATSEYE dropped out of the festival after Megan Skiendiel sprained her ankle during rehearsals for their tour.
After this weekend, Rodrigo is set to launch her huge ‘Unraveled’ world tour next month, starting in North America and arriving at The O2 in London next April. See the full list of dates here and find any remaining tickets here.
NME gave her latest album, ‘You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love’ four-and-a-half stars, writing: ”Here is a major popstar who is not afraid to get weirder and more wonderful, to give even more of themselves over in their art. ‘You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love’ is undeniable evidence of Rodrigo’s growth: as a songwriter, composer, and as a human being.”
More recently, she has officially released her politically-charged new song ‘Serena Joy’ on streaming platforms, having previously only made it available on a limited run of just 500 CDs, all sold exclusively at Analog Record Shop in Tustin, California last Friday (August 21).
The post Olivia Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields Festival raises $10million for women’s charities appeared first on NME.
Olivia Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields Festival raises $10million for women’s charities
Source: Pinas Mabuhay
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