IRVINE, CA — The first-ever Daisy Chain Fields took over Great Park in Irvine Saturday, featuring a star-studded lineup, thousands of attendees and a lot of sunshine.
The festival, founded by Grammy-winning artist Olivia Rodrigo, raised $10 million to 10 nonprofit organizations working on important issues from women and girls.
On Saturday, after extending thanks to performing artists — Chappell Roan, Mitski, Doechii, Bikini Kill and more — Rodrigo announced that donation had doubled to $20 million thanks to a matching gift of $10 million from Melina French Gates.
"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," Rodrigo said at the start of her set. "I don't know how many people who represent that idea more than Melinda French Gates."
The all-day festival opened its gates at around 11 a.m., and while the energy was festive, skyrocketing temperatures and little shade were the main points of contention throughout the day.
Throughout the festival, attendees could be seen fanning themselves with battery-operated fans, blocking the harsh midday rays with Daisy Chain Fields zines, and seeking out any source of shade that could be found at Great Park.
In one case, attendees lined up along a narrow strip of shade provided by a lighting pole in the middle of the field. As time progressed, attendees would adjust and follow the fleeting shade.
"Is it always so hot here?" Doechii — painted hot pink from heat to toe — called out to the audience during her 5 p.m. set.
Her question triggered a chorus of protest from the densely packed crowd.
Despite the heat, the evening culminated into a lively night, with Olivia Rodrigo taking to the stage for a nearly hour-and-a-half set.
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