Documentary coming on Sarah McLachlan’s ’90s all-female festival Lilith Fair

Sarah McLachlan performs at Lilith Fair in 1998; CHERYL DIAZ MEYER/Star Tribune via Getty Images

Lilith Fair, the festival founded by Canadian star Sarah McLachlan in 1997, became a cultural gamechanger by featuring a lineup of women or women-led acts exclusively.  Now, the groundbreaking festival will be the subject of an upcoming documentary, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The doc, co-produced by Dan Levy‘s Not a Real Production Company, will feature interviews with Sarah, as well as Lilith Fair alums Bonnie Raitt, Natalie Merchant, Sheryl Crow, Jewel, the Indigo Girls, Emmylou Harris, Erykah Badu and Mýa, as well as current female singer/songwriters Brandi Carlile and Olivia Rodrigo.  It will also utilize more than 600 hours of archival footage, as well as interviews with fans and organizers.

In a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, Levy says, “What Sarah built with that festival changed so much for so many people. And while it is now seen as an odds-defying success story, it was an uphill battle every step of the way. And there is a lot to be learned from that story.”

In addition to featuring major acts, Lilith Fair, which ran from 1997 to 1999, also helped to launch the careers of acts like Nelly Furtado, The Dixie Chicks, Missy Elliott and Christina Aguilera. Other participants included Tracy Chapman, Fiona Apple and Lisa Loeb.

The documentary will be released theatrically in Canada, and the Canadian Broadcasting Company will premiere it sometime during the 2025-2026 festival season.

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