Olivia Rodrigo's first Daisy Chain Fields festival was created to celebrate women, music and social change, but not everyone outside the gates agreed with its message. Anti-abortion protesters gathered near the festival at Great Park in Irvine, California, on 29 August, with signs attacking Rodrigo's support for Planned Parenthood. The protest brought the debate over abortion rights directly to an event that was raising millions for groups that help women and girls.
Rodrigo's festival was much more than a day of live music, with reproductive rights placed at the heart of its charity work. Planned Parenthood was one of 10 non-profit groups set to receive money raised by the event, alongside the Center for Reproductive Rights and the National Institute for Reproductive Health. That support became the main reason anti-abortion activists said they were showing up.
Protesters Target Planned Parenthood Support
Students for Life of America announced before the event that its members would protest outside Daisy Chain Fields at 5.30pm local time. The group said it opposed festival money going to Planned Parenthood and other groups that support abortion rights. It also accused the festival of sending the wrong message to young women.
Photos shared from the demonstration showed protesters holding signs aimed directly at Olivia Rodrigo and her support for Planned Parenthood. One sign claimed that supporting the group meant 'killing off your future fan base', while another read, 'Every Baby Deserves to Get Their Driver's License One Day. END ABORTION!' The statements reflected the protesters' anti-abortion views and should not be read as neutral medical or factual claims.
Another protest sign claimed that one-third of Generation Z was 'missing because of abortion'. The festival itself, however, had openly presented reproductive health and abortion rights as part of its wider mission to support women and girls. Planned Parenthood also had a presence in the festival's philanthropy area, where guests could learn about its health services.
Daisy Chain Fields Raised $20 Million
The protest came as Daisy Chain Fields delivered a major fundraising result. Rodrigo announced that the festival had raised £7.39 million ($10 million) for 10 non-profit organisations, including Planned Parenthood, the National Women's Law Center and Black Mamas Matter Alliance. Melinda French Gates then pledged another £7.39 million ($10 million) through Pivotal Ventures, bringing the announced total to £14.77 million ($20 million).
The festival said its net proceeds would support groups working on reproductive health, maternal care, workplace rights, domestic violence and other issues affecting women. Guests could also visit a 'philanthropy village' to learn more about the organisations and the services they provide. Planned Parenthood used its space to share information about reproductive health care with festivalgoers.
Music was still a huge part of the event, with Rodrigo joined by Chappell Roan, Doechii, Mitski, Bikini Kill, Garbage and other women performers. Special guests included Sarah McLachlan and Stevie Nicks, giving the festival a mix of young stars and women who have spent decades in music. Rodrigo said when announcing the festival that she believes 'joy, community, and music can be the drivers of meaningful change'.
Rodrigo's Reproductive Rights Activism
Rodrigo's support for reproductive rights did not begin with Daisy Chain Fields. After the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, she spoke about the decision during her performance at Glastonbury and said she was 'heartbroken' by what had happened in America. Four years later, Daisy Chain Fields gave that activism a much bigger stage.
The singer has also worked directly with Planned Parenthood and received its Catalyst of Change Award in 2025. In August 2026, she appeared in a Daisy Chain Fields social media video supporting sexual and reproductive health care as Planned Parenthood centres faced closures. Her close link with the organisation made the festival an obvious target for groups that oppose abortion.
Still, the protest did not change the festival's stated mission or its list of charities. Rodrigo said before the event that she wanted people to leave feeling hopeful and believing that they could create change, while the festival connected thousands of music fans with groups working on women's health and rights. Daisy Chain Fields therefore became both a major pop event and a highly visible example of how celebrity activism can quickly move from the stage into America's wider abortion debate.
