Lilith Fair was the first all-women music festival that launched the careers of music icons like Christina Aguilera, Erykah Badu, Brandi Carlile, Sheryl Crow, and Jewel, hosted and conceived by Sarah McLachlan.
The new 2025 documentary “Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery – The Untold Story” reunited the musicians at the Ford Amphitheater in LA, reminding us of the female powerhouse movement in the music industry. Olivia Rodrigo also appears in the documentary and talks about the influence the women who came before had on her. The festival ran from 1997 through 1999, with the last revival edition in 2010. McLachlan went on to create the Lilith Fair tour, and many of the female artists were recognized with Grammys for the songs that were first performed at the Lilith Fair.
The name comes from Adam’s first wife, Lilith, before Eve. So they felt that symbolized the same essence of their groundbreaking movement.
ABOUT | “Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery – The Untold Story” is inspired by the 2019 article, “Building a Mystery: An Oral History of Lilith Fair,” from Vanity Fair and Epic Magazine, written by Jessica Hopper with Sasha Geffen and Jenn Pelly. It draws from more than 600 hours of never-before-seen archival footage as well as new interviews and stories from fans, festival organizers, and artists. The documentary reunites and features interviews from original Lilith Fair artists Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Erykah Badu, Paula Cole, Jewel, Mýa, Natalie Merchant, Indigo Girls, and Emmylou Harris, and a new generation of artists who have carried the torch, including Brandi Carlile and Olivia Rodrigo, among others. As the film celebrates the festival’s groundbreaking legacy and impact, it also confronts the backlash that tried to diminish it and explores what Lilith means in today’s world.
Directed by Ally Pankiw – Featuring Sarah McLachlan, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Erykah Badu, Paula Cole, Jewel, Mýa, Natalie Merchant, Indigo Girls, Emmylou Harris, Brandi Carlile, and Olivia Rodrigo, among others.
