Olivia Rodrigo is celebrating the legacy of Lilith Fair, the groundbreaking all-women music festival of the 1990s, in a new documentary titled Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery - The Untold Story. The documentary, directed by Ally Pankiw, explores the festival's three-year run (1997-1999) and its lasting impact on the music industry and female artists. The film is set to premiere on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ on September 21, 2025.

Lilith Fair was founded by Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan in response to the prevalent sexism in the music industry. McLachlan was frustrated by concert promoters and radio stations who were hesitant to feature multiple female musicians in a row. Determined to challenge this "conventional wisdom", she created Lilith Fair as a touring festival exclusively showcasing female solo artists and female-led bands.

The festival quickly became a cultural phenomenon, grossing over $52 million and drawing 1.6 million fans across North America. Lilith Fair not only provided a platform for established artists but also launched the careers of many new acts. The documentary features interviews with original Lilith Fair artists such as Sarah McLachlan, Sheryl Crow, Jewel, Bonnie Raitt, Erykah Badu, Paula Cole, Indigo Girls, and Emmylou Harris. It also includes insights from contemporary artists like Brandi Carlile and Olivia Rodrigo, who have been inspired by the festival's legacy.

In the trailer for the documentary, Olivia Rodrigo expresses her amazement at discovering Lilith Fair and the impact it had on women in music. "Finding out that all of my favorite artists had played at this event—I was in disbelief that I'd never heard of it before," she says. Rodrigo also shares how the "women singer-songwriters of the '90s" are a constant source of inspiration for her.

The documentary also highlights the challenges and backlash that Lilith Fair faced. McLachlan recalls being told by promoters that she couldn't "put two women on the same bill" because people wouldn't come. The festival also received bomb threats, and televangelist Jerry Falwell criticized it for its name. Despite these obstacles, Lilith Fair persevered and became a symbol of female empowerment in the music industry.

Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery - The Untold Story aims to celebrate the festival's bold cultural impact and confront the resistance it faced. The documentary draws on over 600 hours of never-before-seen archival footage and includes interviews with artists, fans, and organizers. It promises to be a galvanizing look at a revolutionary music festival that changed the landscape for women in music.

Ally Pankiw, the director of the documentary, stated that she is "so proud to be a part of this beautiful doc - especially at what feels like a fitting time to highlight a story of resistance and radical joy in the face of systems that try to keep women and diverse voices small". The film is inspired by the 2019 article "Building a Mystery: An Oral History of Lilith Fair" from Vanity Fair and Epic Magazine.