Update – May 29th: Due to “production issues,” the event, redubbed YOLA DÍA, has been pushed back from its original June 8th date to August 18th. Charli XCX and Ambar Lucid are no longer on the updated bill, however, they’ve been replaced by Sophie, Kelsey Lu, and Empress Of. Fine more detail here.
Lykke Li has announced a new, all-female music festival, set to take place in Los Angeles later this spring.
YOLA FEST will boast sets from Li, Charli XCX, Cat Power, and a rare acoustic performance from Courtney Love & The Chateau Band. Also listed on the bill are CupcakKe, Megan Thee Stallion, and Ambar Lucid, with more artists to be announced in the coming weeks.
Scheduled for June 8th at the Los Angeles State Historic Park, the day-long event is meant to be a “celebration of the arts, culture, and music by the women of today,” per a statement. Its name comes from and is presented by YOLA Mezcal, a mezcal brand located in Oaxaca, Mexico and founded by Yola Jimenez, Gina Correll Aglietti, and Li. Run and staffed by women, the company is dedicated to “developing the economic autonomy of the women of Oaxaca by providing them with steady work and fair wages.”
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YOLA FEST tickets go on sale this Friday, April 5th over on the festival’s official website. By partnering with PLUS1, YOLA has ensured that a portion of ticket proceeds benefit The Downtown Women’s Center in LA, which works to assist and empower women experiencing homelessness.
The YOLA FEST comes during a time when music festivals around the world still continue to struggle booking female acts. Last year, over 100 festivals signed a global initiative called Keychange, vowing to address gender inequality in their lineups by 2022.
With 50% of new guitar players being young women, and women finally being given the Grammys recognition they’ve long deserved, it certainly seems like the right time for the music festival circuit to catch up and spotlight female talent.
