Olivia Rodrigo's $20 Million Daisy Chain Fields Faces Backlash as Women-Owned Vendors Say They're Still Unpaid

Olivia Rodrigo's Daisy Chain Fields is facing fresh criticism after two women-owned small businesses that participated in the festival said they are still waiting to be paid, while also raising concerns about conditions vendors faced during the event.

The allegations have drawn particular attention because the inaugural festival, held in Irvine, California, in August, was built around supporting women and girls and ultimately generated $20 million in announced donations.

Women-Owned Vendors Speak Out After Daisy Chain Fields

One of the businesses speaking out is Ugly Oats Kitchen, a micro-bakery whose owner addressed Rodrigo directly in an open letter about her experience at Daisy Chain Fields.

'I heard when you were on stage that you raised $20 million for women. Incredible!' the owner wrote. 'While this is astounding, it feels like it was done at the expense of some of the women vendors.'

The owner said participating in the festival represented an 'enormous financial risk' for the small business, which temporarily shut down regular operations and made thousands of cookies for the event.

She also alleged difficult conditions on the day, claiming one member of her team suffered heat exhaustion and began vomiting. According to the post, staff were unable to easily send her home because of the distance from their booth.

'Most of the vendors were essentially stranded at our booths until 1:00 AM,' she wrote, describing the experience as the 'most miserable day' her staff had experienced as part of Ugly Oats.

The business owner added that it could take months to recoup its losses from the event.

'We're Still Waiting to Be Paid'

Por Suerte Cookies, another small business that operated a booth at Daisy Chain Fields, has also publicly spoken about its experience.

'And we're still waiting to be paid,' the business said in a post, adding that it had yet to receive what it says it is owed from the event.

The owner argued that supporting women should extend beyond the performers appearing at the festival.

'Supporting women shouldn't stop at putting women on a stage,' the post read, before adding: 'Because vendors are talent, too.'

The business said many of the vendors were small or one-person operations that took financial risks to participate.

Neither vendor's allegation establishes that Rodrigo personally handled vendor payments or was responsible for the alleged delay.

Daisy Chain Fields Raised $20 Million for Women and Girls

Daisy Chain Fields was held at Great Park in Irvine on 29 August as a women-led festival headlined by Rodrigo.

The event raised $10 million for 10 non-profit organisations supporting women and girls. Melinda French Gates then announced on stage that she would match the amount, bringing the total commitment to $20 million.

Beneficiaries included organisations working in areas such as reproductive rights, maternal health and support for women and girls.

That mission has become central to the criticism now circulating online, with some social media users questioning the apparent contrast between the festival's message and the experiences alleged by women-owned vendors.

Another critic accused Rodrigo's activism surrounding the festival of being performative.

Others, however, questioned why Rodrigo herself was being blamed for an apparent vendor-payment dispute.

'How is that Olivia's fault 😭,' one user responded.

Festival Faced Earlier Complaints Over Heat and Logistics

The vendors' accounts also come after Daisy Chain Fields faced complaints about conditions during the festival itself.

The sold-out event took place in roughly 95-degree heat, with post-festival reports describing long waits for water, limited shade and attendees seeking medical attention.

Ugly Oats' account appears to echo some of those concerns from the vendor side, particularly its allegation that a member of staff suffered heat exhaustion.

Still, the vendors' claims about payment and their individual experiences remain allegations made by the businesses themselves.

At the time of writing, there appears to have been no public response from Daisy Chain Fields, Rodrigo, C3 Presents or DLS Events addressing the vendors' allegations.

The vendors' criticism ultimately centres on what they see as a disconnect between the festival's message and their own experience. As Por Suerte Cookies put it: 'Supporting women shouldn't stop at putting women on a stage.'