UPDATE: On Aug. 27, Katseye announced in a post on their Instagram page that they will be unable to perform at Daisy Chain Fields due to injury.
Daisy Chain Fields has all-woman lineup, marketplace
Joya Bevacqua, a 17-year-old singer-songwriter from New Westminster, British Columbia, finds inspiration from artists who aren’t afraid to speak up.
When she wrote her debut song Isabella, she said she partly took inspiration from Lacy by Olivia Rodrigo.
But, for her, Rodrigo’s impact goes beyond the songwriting itself.
“She’s always the kind of artist to say what she thinks and do what she thinks is right, which is really inspiring,” Joya told CBC Kids News.
On Aug. 29, Daisy Chain Fields, an all-women music festival presented by Rodrigo, will take place at Great Park in Irvine, California.
The lineup includes Chappell Roan, Katseye, Mitski, Doechii and more.
The festival represents something bigger than a single concert: Rodrigo is bringing together a market made up of women-owned businesses, and 100 per cent of the proceeds from the festival will go towards organizations that are “dedicated to advancing and advocating for women and girls,” according to the Daisy Chain Fields website.
Rodrigo explained in a news release from Universal Music why she’s doing the festival now. “By bringing together women in music and organizations helping shape a better future for women and girls, I hope we can build a community that inspires hope and positive change.”
It’s also an event that gives teen girls and young women a chance to be taken seriously as artists, fans and people with emotions that matter, one musical expert told CBC Kids News.
Joya Bevacqua, 17, is a performer, singer and songwriter who takes inspiration from female artists and producers. (Images submitted by Joya Bevacqua)
The festival’s inspiration
The 1990s brought Lilith Fair, an all-women’s music festival created by Canadian artist Sarah McLachlan.
The festival began in 1997 and lasted for three years.
Rodrigo told Pitchfork magazine that she was directly inspired by Lilith Fair and McLachlan will be joining her on stage at Daisy Chain Fields as a special guest.
In the 2025 documentary, Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery, McLachlan said she created Lilith Fair to prove to radio stations and concert bookers they were wrong when they said they would never play two female artists back-to-back.
It became the top-grossing touring festival in 1997, its first year on the road.
Daisy Chain Fields is different because it specifically centres the experiences and voices of teen girls and young women, rather than adults, according to Jacqueline Warwick, a musicology and women’s studies professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
“She’s pitching this lineup towards younger listeners and fans. The idea of creating a festival that really is aimed at teen girl listeners is an exciting and productive thing to do,” said Warwick.
Rodrigo with her fellow lineup star, Chappell Roan, left, and Katseye, right. (Daisy Chain Fields/Instagram)
Why teen girls?
According to Warwick, listening to music during the teen years isn’t just entertainment — it’s identity-building.
“Fandom of music in the teenage years is such a big part of how we forge our identities, right? How we build our sense of who we are,” she explained to CBC Kids News.
She said Rodrigo and other artists’ lyrics give teens language for feelings they don’t yet know how to express — a script they can use later in their own lives, as they form their own opinions.
Girls’ tastes are often dismissed
Teen girls have historically been treated as trivial in the music industry — often mocked for fandom behaviour.
“In a society that often tells girls their tastes are silly and frivolous, and that the music they like is weak or lame — that’s the message girls get,” Warwick explained.
When a girl claims her music taste and community proudly, she’s often fighting against years of being told her preferences don’t matter, according to Warwick.
“For girls to go to a concert and claim their community, that often takes a certain amount of confidence and courage,” she said.
“It’s a little disheartening to see that we still need to keep doing that work 30 years later.”
Sarah McLachlan performing at Lilith Fair’s revival in 2010 in Camden, New Jersey. (Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images)
Standing up for what matters
Joya recognizes that Rodrigo’s choice to create this festival isn’t just about music.
It’s about using a platform responsibly.
“Being someone who’s in the eye of the public and being able to share your beliefs and not be afraid of what people are going to say or do — I think that’s so admirable,” she said.
“If I had the chance to be that well-known, I would definitely try to be that way because I think it’s important to stand up for what you believe in.”
Rodrigo’s vision for the festival reflects her belief in the collective power and unity of young women.
“Daisies are wild and beautiful.” Rodrigo wrote on the festival’s website. “As a chain, they are strong and unbreakable.”
Have more questions? Want to tell us how we’re doing? Use the “send us feedback” link below. ⬇️⬇️⬇️