It was not all sunshine and daisies at Olivia Rodrigo’s inaugural Daisy Chain Fields festival at Great Park in Irvine. The one-day music festival and charity event was produced and organized by Live Nation and its music festival subsidiary, C3 Presents (Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Ohana Fest). With corporate giants like this, you’d expect Daisy Chain Fields to be a well-oiled pink machine.
Unfortunately, that was not the case.
While major and corporate media have saturated news feeds with all the wonderful news of the $20 million raised — $10 million of which was donated by Melinda French Gates — for nonprofit organizations supporting women and girls, we absolutely cannot minimize or sweep under the rug the many failures of Daisy Chain Fields.
I spent nearly all of Sunday chatting with friends, both in the music industry and those who simply attended as fans, about their Daisy Chain Fields experiences, along with fans I don’t know who attended the festival. It wasn’t hard to see the thousands of comments across social media, from TikTok to Threads, Instagram, and Facebook, all the way to Reddit, about the many ways Daisy Chain Fields fell short in vital areas of festival operations that are necessary to create a safe and comfortable experience for attendees. This was especially important given the core demographic of the audience, which is young girls and young adults.
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And when you are paying $250 for a general admission ticket, $350 for GA+, $500 for VIP, $1,250 for pit access, and God knows what for fancy bungalows and suites, whether it’s for charity or not, you, the fan and attendee, deserve to have an incredible experience where you feel safe and seen.
That was not the case for many festival attendees who shared their experience with me and publicly.
While nearly every person I spoke with praised the good vibes, money raised, and performances at Daisy Chain Fields, their positive words were almost always followed by a “but.” And almost every person who said Daisy Chain Fields was great and that they had minimal challenges were folks who had access to VIP, suites, and/or bungalows.
I’ve been covering music festivals since Coachella in 2006, which was my first-ever music festival media credential. I’ve seen what it looks and feels like in general admission, but I’ve also been privileged, through my work, to spend most of my time in VIP areas, artist and guest compounds, and air-conditioned clubhouses like the one at Just Like Heaven. While that may sound wonderful, getting to where I am today was no easy feat. This girl has cut her teeth in this industry since she was 21 years old, and she still dips into the trenches today.
Those premium amenities can make a music festival a piece of cake, especially when you’re battling the elements, such as 100-degree heat, high humidity, and full sun. As many people warned ahead of Daisy Chain Fields, those conditions are a recipe for disaster.
The majority of complaints fans reported about Daisy Chain Fields centered around heat stroke and heat illness, traffic / exit control, overcrowded medical tents, kids passing out, and wheelchairs running out because there weren’t enough available to continue transporting people who were collapsing. One young person shared that they suffered heat stroke and had to leave the festival.
These weren’t naysayers or people complaining just to complain. These were real women who attended Daisy Chain Fields. They weren’t Olivia Rodrigo stans popping off behind their screens just to pick a fight with anyone who dares to criticize Olivia or the festival. Because we all know how Swifites and Livies can be when it comes to any form of criticism.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with criticizing a music festival, even if it did some real good work for nonprofits. My team and I always tell the unfiltered truth when covering music festivals, including failed logistics and/or extreme weather conditions and heat stroke that could have been prevented.
Through both criticism and praise, this is how we create music festivals and events that are much more enjoyable and safe for everyone — not just those who paid top dollar for VIP and premium amenities.
As much as I love my career in the music industry, there are days when I absolutely hate it because of the toxicity and predatory behavior from corporations and those who shill for them. And that is exactly why I run a fully independent media network that reaches millions.
Because as much as we love creating articles for our weekly columns — 3 New Songs, Artists You Should Know, Best New Albums — and supporting our local and independent music scene, it is just as important to write about the news nobody else is writing about and make sure fans’ voices are being heard and their experiences are being validated.
I certainly don’t see any of those major media outlets with redundant headlines creating an article about the shortcomings of Daisy Chain Fields and detailing what fans endured. But maybe they will after folks see this. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve spoken up about poorly managed concerts, and major media and news outlets later piggybacked off my story.
First and foremost, I am a music fan. Code-switching to the business side of being the editor and publisher comes later. And the Grimy Goods staff is the same way. We have been a fan-driven music community since 2008. We speak up.
So, Daisy Chain Fields organizers, here’s what your attendees want next year.
1. Heat Stroke Prevention
Preventing heat stroke and heat illness when a festival is operating during severe heat advisories should be of the utmost importance. This means adding more shade, allowing parasols in, and ensuring there are enough reliable water refill stations (with cold water), fans, and misters. Because four stations accessible to all, with a reported four faucets and two fans each, are hardly enough for 45,000+ attendees. Fans were literally begging for this in the days leading up to the event.
I created an article about this concern, along with several other news outlets, in the hopes that Daisy Chain Fields organizers would hear our red flags, as well as those of the many fans planning to attend the event, and add some much-needed preventative measures. Because clearly, what they had in place was not enough. If it was, those medical tents would not have been flooded, and kids wouldn’t have sadly had to go home before their favorite artist, who they’ve never seen live, hit the stage.
I was at Just Like Heaven at the Rose Bowl grounds in Pasadena the weekend prior, and we battled 98-degree heat with humidity. While I do know several people who experienced a bit of heat illness, those medical tents did not even look remotely like what was seen at Daisy Chain Fields — and what was reported by countless fans.
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2. ADA Equal Accessibility
Hearing from so many women with disabilities was particularly heartbreaking, especially given the extreme temperatures and humidity. In an Instagram and TikTok video, Allyson Smith detailed the challenges she faced at Daisy Chain Fields, prompting several other people with disabilities to share in her comments that the ADA pickup points were a “nightmare” or, in some cases, seemingly nonexistent. Others also pointed to a lack of “signage for accessible areas/walkways.”
Smith attended Daisy Chain Fields with a walker and detailed a particularly troubling interaction with a male festival worker. With ADA transportation seemingly unavailable, she ultimately had her roommate push her backward in her walker all the way to their car.
Several other attendees with disabilities reported being left at the ADA tent waiting for a ride until as late as 12:15 a.m.
@allykristinesmith @Olivia Rodrigo please address how you did the disabled community SO dirty at this festival. I will not be returning. #daisychains #oliviarodrigoconcert #chappellroanconcert #disabled #disability ♬ original sound – Ally Brainard
“A lot to say about Daisy Chain (good – $20m to charities – and critical), but I think the most important takeaway is that people with disabilities NEED to be involved in (and listened to while) planning for these kinds of events. To have the only ADA viewing in full sun, no shade, and about half a mile away from the only medical tent (which was over capacity all day) was dangerous. Especially right next to $30K covered bungalows.” ~ crystal.writes
3. Traffic Control — Where Was Irvine Police Department?
Okay, we all know that post-festival traffic can be an absolute shit show at any music festival. However, what attendees were reporting from Daisy Chain Fields was next-level deplorable. From waiting 3+ hours to get out of the parking lots, to being stuck due to roads that were closed off, missing trains, and sadly seeing young girls walking miles alone just to find their parents or an Uber pickup point and being met by no cell service— this is all just a huge and very unsafe failure.
“I paid A HUNDRED DOLLARS to park by raging waters, and it took TWO HOURS just to get out of the parking lot. I got bored after 45 mins, set an alarm clock and took a nap for 45 mins, then STILL had to wait 30 Mins before cars moved.” [I think they meant to say “Wild Rivers”] ~ something_offensive
Several attendees reported that the Irvine Police Department went against the plan that was put in place months ago, and that’s why there was little to no police traffic control. You can read all the commentary on that discourse in our Instagram Reel, which features the amazing parking traffic control fairy.
Instead of addressing the situation when attendees tagged the Irvine Police Department in their Instagram posts, the department’s Instagram account appeared to passively-aggressively target kids who had snuck into the festival.
And boy, did attendees have a lot to say when Irvine mayor, Larry Agran shared an Instagram post the day of the festival.
Thank goodness for the magical parking fairy who stepped in and did the work police should normally be doing when a music festival lets out: directing traffic.
Watch this blessed being in action below or on our Instagram.
4. Ensuring Enough Food Vendors To Feed 45,000+ Fans
Food running out at a music festival and having to wait a long time for food is nothing new. It happens often. But when your festival sold out in less than an hour, and you know you’re going to be dealing with record temperatures and 45,000+ attendees, there is no reason why you shouldn’t be loading up on your food vendors. It’s basic supply and demand without having to worry about profits.
At Daisy Chain Fields, the wait times for several food vendors were reported by attendees to be 1-2 hours.
I spoke with festival attendee Melissa Bee, who shared that she and her friends waited two hours for food, while also detailing the lack of shade and long wait times at the medical tents.
“It was an absolutely incredible event. It could have been amazing,” explained Bee. “They [festival organizers] knew ahead of time that it was going to be hot and there were so many articles on the news about the heat. My friend had been asking them about shade for the week going into it. She was the most prepared person, which is why it’s horrible that she had to miss so much of the show because she wound up getting so sick. We couldn’t even get merch because of the amount of time that was spent waiting for food and then going to medical. They knew how many people were going to be there. Why didn’t they prepare for food and shade?”
Noting that “Daisy Chain Fields had an OK start, but people need to stop romanticizing it,” Bee shared a list of suggestions on how the festival can do better the next time around.
She also shared with me that when she was “waiting in line for food, a photographer with a press pass came by and was asking about the lines. She was having a hypoglycemic episode, and there was no food in the press tent. The line for food was too long and folks started pulling random snacks out of their bags but she needed real food. We hoped she was ok.”
Several of my media colleagues, who were in the press tent, also reported snacks and water being empty often and placed in full sun.
People, whether attendees who paid top dollar or members of the media who are literally telling the story of the festival for those who couldn’t be there, need food and sustenance to get through a nearly 12-hour music festival, especially in severe heat and humidity.
And considering how many kids were at this event — which, if you’re a parent, you know snacks are key to a good time — why was food running out at a festival where organizers knew they were expecting 45,000+ people and facing extreme temperatures?
Make it make sense.
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This level of wait times and running out of food, in my opinion, is rare at music festivals. Especially when coming from a behemoth like Live Nation. This is far from their first rodeo.
At this past Just Like Heaven music festival, I waited about 40 minutes for my plant-based musubi, which was delicious, by the way. It was the longest I had ever waited in my 20+ years of attending and covering music festivals.
I’ve also experienced vendors running out of food as early as 8 p.m., which, unfortunately, is pretty standard. And I’ve experienced some of the absolute best-executed music festivals, where food is plentiful, wait times are bearable, and press lounges are air-conditioned and fully stocked with the best snacks.
5. Treat Your Festival Employees Better
With this absolute mess of planning and logistics, we can only imagine what Daisy Chain Fields festival employees went through. And judging by the input received from attendees, one in particular who shared a video of how employees were allegedly treated, it’s actually pretty disheartening.
When you have a festival employee speaking with KTLA 5 ahead of the festival, saying that “they’re worried the planned resources won’t be enough for that kind of intense heat” and questioning whether the number of water stations and medical tents would be sufficient, those concerns raise a red flag. It also makes you wonder how employees are being treated if these concerns about heat stroke for attendees are being ignored.
Festival attendee Alyssa Yung shared on TikTok that she felt bad for the workers at Daisy Chain. She also praised the festival while pointing out several logistical failures, including the VIP area.
“Because we heard on security’s walkie-talkies … no one leave your post,” Yung shared. “I don’t care if your shift ends; if these roads aren’t clear, you are not going to get paid if you leave …”
That is not cool.
And this might explain why there was such a lack of parking attendants and ADA tent rides.
Someone should tell the security company and/or festival organizers about California’s vigorous employment laws and protections for employees, especially when it comes to lunch breaks and overtime.
@_alyssayung_ i hope everyone made it home safe… until next year! #daisychainfields #daisychain #irvine #festivalvlog ♬ original sound – alyssa!!
Daisy Chain Fields Returns in 2027, But Do Better
While Olivia Rodrigo, Daisy Chain Fields, and festival organizers Live Nation/C3 Presents have yet to address the complaints and concerns raised by thousands of festival attendees, they have largely focused on sharing the positives of the festival. Meanwhile, fans and future attendees continue to wait to see if their voices will actually be heard.
You cannot heavily promote a festival centered on celebrating women in music in a safe and inclusive environment when so many women clearly did not feel safe.
Whether it was teenagers walking aimlessly at midnight, hoping to find their parents or at least get a cel signal; women with disabilities feeling ignored and minimized; or women in the medical tent doing their best to prevent heat stroke, only to miss their favorite women in music because of it — this is not it.
Regardless of whose fault this logistical “shit show” was — and I believe several parties share responsibility — there is a level of accountability that the face of this festival must take. In this case, that is Olivia Rodrigo. She doesn’t need to personally solve every logistical failure, but she can acknowledge the concerns being voiced by countless fans and attendees and use her platform to demand better.
There is no doubt that Rodrigo is greatly loved and that she did incredible work in bringing Daisy Chain Fields to life. But we cannot ignore the many fans across social media who have been tagging both Rodrigo and Daisy Chain Fields, asking for answers. They deserve to be heard. More importantly, they deserve to know what measures will be taken before Daisy Chain Fields returns in 2027 to make the festival a truly safe, accessible, and much better experience for everyone.
And there are plenty of ways to do that.
Some have suggested moving the event to Brookside at the Rose Bowl or Los Angeles State Historic Park, while others believe it should remain at Great Park in Irvine. If it stays in Irvine, the entire site needs to be properly revamped and made festival-ready before another 45,000 people are brought through its gates.
And perhaps just as importantly, organizers need to reconsider the timing. Putting a nearly 12-hour outdoor music festival in the middle of one of Southern California’s hottest times of the year, when extreme heat can become a genuine health and safety threat, is a decision that deserves serious reconsideration.
Daisy Chain Fields has the potential to become something unstoppable. The mission is important. The lineup was incredible. And the desire for a festival celebrating women in music is clearly there — something YOLA DÍA proved back in 2019 when it delivered exactly that at Los Angeles State Historic Park.
But if Daisy Chain Fields returns in 2027, it needs to come back better — with more shade, more water, better medical resources, accessible transportation that actually works, enough food, better traffic management, and, above all, a commitment to listening to the people who paid to be there.
Because celebrating women also means listening to women. And next year, Daisy Chain Fields needs to prove it was listening.
FINALLY! Someone has that tits to share the truth about Daisy chain fields. I wish I could say I had a GREAT time but i didn’t. Everything that could go wrong in this heat went wrong. The heat was miserable and only made all the other problems worse.
Thank u for putting all of our complaints on here. I can’t belive how many other news sites and magazines are just showing the good side about this festival. I loved the performances I did see when I was not waiting hours in line for food or water or when I had to take my sister to the paramedic tent. Every person needs to be heard. I really hope Olivia and Daisy Chains read this because the only way I would go back next year is if it’s at a different location and none of these things happen the way they did this year.