Sunday, March 8, 2026 at noon on WVPE News2
Sarah McLachlan didn't just make some of her generation's greatest songs, she started a movement.
While carving out a space for herself in the music industry, McLachlan became frustrated that female musicians weren't being given an equal shot. Back in the '90s, concert promoters and radio stations only allotted one slot for female artists, which forced them to vie against each other for airplay.
Instead of letting that get her down, McLachlan took matters into her own hands. In 1996, she created Lilith Fair, an all-female music festival that traveled North America spotlighting women. It also raised $7 million for women's charities and shelters. But its success didn't come without enormous personal, reputational and financial risk for McLachlan, who faced intense doubt and criticism every step of the way.
WATCH | Sarah McLachlan's full interview with Tom Power:
Now, Lilith Fair is being celebrated in a new documentary, Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery, which gives a behind the scenes look at what it took to put on the groundbreaking music festival.
The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last week, and it's now available to stream on CBC Gem. This Friday, McLachlan will also be releasing her first new album in 11 years, Better Broken.
Ahead of the album and the documentary's release, McLachlan joined host Tom Power for a special live taping of Q, in which she also performed two songs, Gravity and Building a Mystery.
"[Lilith Fair] galvanized a lot of things for me," McLachlan told Power. "When I set my mind to do something and I have a belief system, I am holding fast and true to that belief system. I was really grateful for the experience…. Just that idea of giving back is so powerful. It feels so good to have purpose and to be of service."
by Vivian Rashotte, CBC Arts