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| Sarah McLaughlin and Olivia Rodrigo at Daisy Chain Fields. |
Pop phenom Olivia Rodrigo proves she is more than just a soundtrack for heartbreak. Transforming a single hot California afternoon into a $20 million powerhouse for women’s rights, the Filipino American singer-songwriter’s inaugural Daisy Chain Fields Music Festival used star power to raise $20-million for marginalized communities.
The day was hot -- in the 90s -- but the music was hotter.
Addressing the crowd from the stage, Rodrigo articulated her core vision:
"I really believe that giving women the tools to decide their own futures and live healthy lives free of violence and discrimination is the most effective tool we have at changing the world for the better.
"Daisy Chain Fields is about what can happen when we come together and use our collective power to support one another," she added.
The single-day, sold-out festival gathered 45,000 attendees in Irvine, California. Through ticket proceeds, corporate sponsors, private donors, and artist fee waivers, the festival initially raised $10 million. .
The total doubled during Rodrigo’s evening performance when philanthropist Melinda French Gates made a surprise appearance onstage through Pivotal Ventures to match the entire sum, pushing the grand total to $20 million.
In announcing her $10 million supplement, Gates said, "When women and girls come together to dream and to lead, we change the world."
Rodrigo said the festival's artists and activists give her hope despite the "regression of women's rights" today.
"That's actually why I fell in love with the name 'Daisy Chain,'" Rodrigo said. "It served as a reminder of how individual parts can come together to create something strong and unbreakable."
The festival also featured special guest appearances during Olivia Rodrigo's headlining set from Alanis Morissette, Sarah McLachlan, and Stevie Nicks
Manila Concert Proceeds & GUTS Tour
It's not the first time that Rodrigo has rused her platform as a performer to rbenfit social causes.
Rodrigo pledged 100% of all net ticket proceeds from her sold-out Philippine Arena concert in Manila during the GUTS World Tour. By selling all 55,000 tickets at a flat "Silver Star" price of ₱1,500 (approx. $27 USD), the show generated 100% of its net proceeds directly for Jhpiego—a global health organization focused on providing healthcare, family planning, and reproductive services to women and girls in the Philippines.
Rodrigo has directed over $2 million in global ticket proceeds from the GUTS World Tour to various local and international women's charities through her Fund 4 Good initiative.
Rodrigo pledged 100% of all net ticket proceeds from her sold-out Philippine Arena concert in Manila during the GUTS World Tour. By selling all 55,000 tickets at a flat "Silver Star" price of ₱1,500 (approx. $27 USD), the show generated 100% of its net proceeds directly for Jhpiego—a global health organization focused on providing healthcare, family planning, and reproductive services to women and girls in the Philippines.
Rodrigo has directed over $2 million in global ticket proceeds from the GUTS World Tour to various local and international women's charities through her Fund 4 Good initiative.
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| 45,000 festival goers came from all over the US. |
For women and girls
The 10 nonprofits benefitting from the festival are:
- Planned Parenthood – Reproductive and sexual healthcare and education.
- Center for Reproductive Rights – Global legal advocacy for reproductive freedom.
- Black Mamas Matter Alliance – Black maternal health, justice, and mortality advancement.
- Baby2Baby – Diapers, clothing, and basic necessities for children in poverty.
- National Women's Law Center – Gender justice, workplace equality, and anti-discrimination protections.
- National Domestic Workers Alliance – Rights and economic security for nannies, house cleaners, and home-care workers.
- FreeFrom – Financial security and support for survivors of gender-based violence.
- Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health – Health equity for Indigenous women, children, and families.
- National Institute for Reproductive Health – State and local policy advocacy for equitable healthcare access.
- Jhpiego – International maternal and reproductive healthcare improvements to prevent childbirth death.
During her time on stage, Rodrigo gave a hint of the future when she shouted out to the audience, "Let's do it again next year!"
But as the spotlight dimmed, Stevie Nicks had one last message to deliver. “I’m somewhat awestruck that (Olivia])could do all this, because it’s so hard… and she’s done it with grace and this crazy, crazy energy that she has. I told her, ‘Don’t ever give that up.’ So support her, she’s very special. Take her to your heart — I have.”
But as the spotlight dimmed, Stevie Nicks had one last message to deliver. “I’m somewhat awestruck that (Olivia])could do all this, because it’s so hard… and she’s done it with grace and this crazy, crazy energy that she has. I told her, ‘Don’t ever give that up.’ So support her, she’s very special. Take her to your heart — I have.”
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