Karen O Pulls Out of Olivia Rodrigo's Daisy Chain Fields Festival Citing Family Emergency

Karen O cancelled her scheduled guest appearance at Olivia Rodrigo's inaugural Daisy Chain Fields festival in Irvine, California, citing a family emergency.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman was billed as a "special guest" for the event, which was the first edition of the festival. On Sunday morning, Karen O took to social media to explain her absence, writing that she was "with family back east" and unable to perform due to the unexpected personal matter. She also thanked Rodrigo for her "advocacy for women, by women," according to Rolling Stone.

Rodrigo addressed the absence directly from the stage during her headlining set, telling the crowd that Karen O was one of the first people to say yes to Daisy Chain but had an unexpected personal matter requiring her to be elsewhere. The acknowledgement came before Rodrigo introduced a surprise guest of her own — Alanis Morissette, who was not on the announced lineup, joined Rodrigo to perform "Ironic."

Two other billed special guests, Stevie Nicks and Sarah McLachlan, did perform during Rodrigo's headlining set. So despite Karen O's withdrawal, the guest slots were filled across the night.

Karen O was not the only artist to drop off the Daisy Chain Fields bill. K-pop girl group Katseye also pulled out of the festival, issuing a statement on 27 August that they were "so incredibly sorry" to be unable to perform, as Rolling Stone reported.

For an inaugural festival, losing two acts from the lineup in the days leading up to the event is a logistical headache no promoter wants. That Rodrigo's headlining set still delivered Nicks, McLachlan and an unannounced Morissette speaks to the depth of the bill she and her team assembled — and to the goodwill the festival's artist-first framing appears to have generated among performers.

No further details on Karen O's family emergency have been shared, and no rescheduled appearance has been announced.