How soon do we get to do this again?
Now if they could just find a way to schedule future editions of the festival at a more meteorologically reasonable time, some period of the year where it is reliably warm in SoCal yet not prone to insanely long heat waves, because climate change has abated and… well, never mind, fine … August probably is as good a time as any.
What a distraction from all that the 14-act bill (plus three guest stars) managed to provide over a 10-and-a-half-hour day of music, with one killer act after another representing a wide gamut of styles and eras, bearing a sold amount of diversity except for the very un-diverse main criterion for booking.
Olivia Rodrigo and Sarah McLachlan at Daisy Chain Fields Festival 2026 held at Great Park on August 29, 2026 in Irvine, California.
Christopher Polk
Chappell Roan at Daisy Chain Fields Festival 2026 held at Great Park on August 29, 2026 in Irvine, California.
Christopher Polk
But if you were looking for the secret heart of the festival, it might have been over on the second stage, where some of the artists who inspired Rodrigo as a nascent rocker got their moment to shine. It would be hard to imagine a more heartwarming moment than when Bikini Kill revved through some vintage punk and the entire crowd of young ‘uns in front was singing along. Kathleen Hanna was at least as agog as any of the rest of us at the realization the band was playing to a pretty full and definitely engaged field of (primarily) women, something that would have seemed like science-fiction in their heyday. Hanna said that when they played Orange County in the ’90s, they were lucky if three women showed up to one of their gigs (and then she brought out three Irvine-ites who did form their own band after getting into Bikini Kill). Not all good things come to those who wait, but occasionally poetic justice prevails.
Shirley Manson of Garbage performs onstage at Daisy Chain Fields Festival 2026 held at Great Park on August 29, 2026 in Irvine, California.
Gilbert Flores
The Breeders at Daisy Chain Fields Festival 2026 held at Great Park on August 29, 2026 in Irvine, California.
Christopher Polk
Maria Zardoya of Not for Radio at Daisy Chain Fields Festival 2026 held at Great Park on August 29, 2026 in Irvine, California.
Gilbert Flores
Mitski at Daisy Chain Fields Festival 2026 held at Great Park on August 29, 2026 in Irvine, California.
Christopher Polk
Doechii performs onstage at Daisy Chain Fields Festival 2026 held at Great Park on August 29, 2026 in Irvine, California.
Gilbert Flores
Chappell Roan at Daisy Chain Fields Festival 2026 held at Great Park on August 29, 2026 in Irvine, California.
Christopher Polk
Olivia Rodrigo and Melinda Gates speak onstage at Daisy Chain Fields Festival 2026 held at Great Park on August 29, 2026 in Irvine, California.
Gilbert Flores
Chappell Roan at Daisy Chain Fields Festival 2026 held at Great Park on August 29, 2026 in Irvine, California.
Christopher Polk
Olivia Rodrigo at Daisy Chain Fields Festival 2026 held at Great Park on August 29, 2026 in Irvine, California.
Christopher Polk
