Food vendors at Olivia Rodrigo's Daisy Chains Field Festival, held on Saturday, August 29, at the Great Park in Irvine, have reported instances of unpaid wages and difficult working conditions. The festival, which featured performances by Doechii, Chappell Roan, Olivia Rodrigo, Stevie Nicks, and Sarah McLachlan, was inspired by the Lilith Fair and intended to raise funds for women-centric charities. Tickets for the event sold out within half an hour, drawing thousands to the Great Park.
However, a number of vendors who participated in the festival have since shared experiences of financial strain and operational issues. DLS Events, the company responsible for organizing food and beverages at the event, was named by vendors in connection with these issues.
Mary Chacon, owner of Ugly Oats Kitchen, posted on Instagram on October 6, describing the contract to work at the festival as an “enormous financial risk.” She stated that the money raised for charities was "done at the expense of some of the women vendors." Chacon reported that DLS Events informed vendors they would face fines if they ran out of food. This prompted Ugly Oats Kitchen to close its regular bakery operations to produce extra cookies for the event. The contract stipulated approximately $1400 in fees and a forfeiture of 35% of sales to DLS. Chacon indicated that, after accounting for sales, the event resulted in several thousand dollars in losses for her business.
Additional challenges reported by Ugly Oats Kitchen included receiving necessary setup information only hours before arriving at the venue. Once on site, the event was described as disorganized, with DLS allegedly booking too many dessert vendors and not enough meal vendors. Chacon also noted that a member of her team suffered heat exhaustion and could not find substantial food, and most vendors were effectively stranded at their booths until 1:00 AM due to a two-mile walk to the staff parking lot. She characterized the day as “the most miserable day” for her business, estimating it would take months to recover from the financial impact.
Following Chacon’s post, another female-owned business, Por Suerte Cookies, also came forward to share its experience. This vendor reported incurring a significant “financial loss” from the festival. Por Suerte Cookies stated it took weeks to confirm their participation and that they are “still waiting to be paid,” having not yet received amounts owed for the event.
Public reactions on social media platforms have expressed disappointment regarding the vendors’ reports. One X user shared their family’s experience, stating their mother, who worked at the festival, was unpaid, treated poorly by management, threatened with fines for running out of food, and left stranded at her stall until 1 AM. The user described the situation as “ironic” given the festival’s stated mission. Another Redditor commented on the practice of penalizing vendors for running out of goods.
Published reports indicate Olivia Rodrigo’s representatives were contacted for comment regarding these vendor accounts.
