Home / Arts and Entertainment / Lilith Fair Documentary Revives Nostalgia for '90s Music Festival
Lilith Fair Documentary Revives Nostalgia for '90s Music Festival
26 Sep, 2025
Summary
- Lilith Fair, an all-female music festival, ran from 1997 to 1999
- New Hulu documentary "Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery" tells the story
- Festival challenged industry norms, featured both established and emerging artists
In September 2025, music fans can transport themselves back to the '90s with the help of a new documentary on the storied Lilith Fair, now streaming on Hulu. The documentary, titled "Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery," tells the story of the all-female music festival created by Sarah McLachlan from 1997 to 1999.
The Lilith Fair festival burst onto the scene in the summer of 1997, challenging the male-dominated rock landscape of the time. Founded by McLachlan and her collaborators, the traveling festival featured an all-female (or female-led) lineup and intentionally flouted industry convention. It paired chart-topping names like Sheryl Crow, Jewel, and Indigo Girls with emerging voices, and donated a portion of ticket proceeds to women's causes.
The festival's success was immediate, grossing nearly $16 million in its first year and outpacing festival giants like Lollapalooza. It proved that audiences were eager to see women take center stage. Though the main run of Lilith Fair lasted only until 1999, with a troubled revival in 2010, its legacy endures as a groundbreaking celebration of women in music.
