Sarah McLachlan, Jewel and Olivia Rodrigo cancelled a concert in Hollywood last night (September 21) scheduled to promote the new Lilith Fair documentary, Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery, in a move of solidarity with Jimmy Kimmel following his suspension by ABC. (ABC, Disney+ and Hulu are owned by Disney Entertainment.)
McLachlan, the co-founder of Lilith Fair and one of the stars of the documentary, was at the premiere to introduce the film ahead of its screening, but announced that the performances were not taking place, as an act of solidarity to support Kimmel and free speech.
Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, was taken off the air by ABC last Wednesday (September 17) after a warning made by FCC Chairman Brendan Carr directed at ABC over comments made by Kimmel over the death of Charlie Kirk, MAGA and the Trump administration.
Hulu is both distributing and exclusively streaming Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery in the U.S. The film, which is currently streaming on CBC Gem in Canada, was directed by Ally Pankiw and produced by Dan Levy's Not a Real Production company.
The film "tells the story of the groundbreaking music festival featuring only women artists, started by Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan and her team in the late-1990s in direct opposition to the prevailing 'industry wisdom' that limited women from playing together on a concert bill and getting back-to-back airplay on the radio."
Past Lilith Fair headliners and doc participants McLachlan and Jewel were expected to perform in celebration of Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery, along with Rodrigo, who also appears in the film and was reportedly billed as the “special surprise performance.”
Speaking to the audience, McLachlan said, “It’s a gift for all of us to see [this film], but also I’ve grappled with being here tonight and around what to say about the present situation that we are all faced with, the stark contraction to the many advances we’ve made watching the insidious erosion of women’s rights, of trans and queer rights, the muzzling of free speech. I think we’re all fearful for what comes next, and none of us know, but what I do know is that I have to keep pushing forward as an artist, as a woman to find a way through, and though I don’t begin to know what the answer is, I believe we all need to work towards a softening to let in the possibility of a better way, because I see music as a bridge to our shared humanity, to finding common ground.”
“If Lilith taught me anything, it taught me there is a great strength in coming together to lift each other up instead of tearing each other down," she continued. "So I really hope this documentary inspires everyone to continue to try and create positive change in your communities, to keep lifting each other up, keep championing the causes you believe in with kindness and empathy because ultimately we’re all in this together.”
“I know you’re expecting a performance tonight, and I’m so grateful to all of you for coming, and I apologize if this is disappointing, but we have collectively decided not to perform but instead to stand in solidarity in support of free speech,” McLachlan added. "Thank you for your understanding.”
iHeartRadio's Ruby Carr recently spoke to Sarah McLachlan about the making of Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery during its TIFF premiere. Watch it below.
“I know you’re expecting a performance tonight, and I’m so grateful to all of you for coming, and I apologize if this is disappointing, but we have collectively decided not to perform but instead to stand in solidarity in support of free speech,” Sarah McLachlan said breaking… pic.twitter.com/CteaSYysnl
— Chris Gardner (@chrissgardner) September 22, 2025