Global Citizen Festival Announces New Performance Lineup for 10th Anniversary

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Global Citizen Festival Promotional Picture

( ENSPIRE Entertainment ) Impressive Star Lineup Will Perform at Global Citizen Festival in New York’s Central Park and Accra, Ghana

ENSPIRE Contributor: Abigail Elcock

Since it began lighting up Central Park’s Great Lawn in 2012, the Global Citizen Festival has become the world’s longest-running global campaign calling for an end to extreme poverty. Global Citizen Festival unites millions of voices—amplified by the world’s biggest artists—demanding world leaders take action NOW. Today, this international advocacy organization announced the lineups for the 10th anniversary Global Citizen Festival, taking place in New York City’s Central Park, presented by Citi and Cisco, and Black Star Square in Accra, Ghana, presented by Harith General Partners, on Saturday, September 24, 2022. 

In Central Park, New York City, the line-up includes Metallica, Charlie Puth, Jonas Brothers, Måneskin, Mariah Carey, Mickey Guyton, and Rosalía. Global Citizen Festival: NYC will be hosted by actor, producer, author, and Global Citizen Ambassador Priyanka Chopra Jonas. In Black Star Square, Accra, Ghana, the line-up includes Usher, SZA, Stormzy, Gyaki, H.E.R., Sarkodie, Stonebwoy, and Tems. Both performances may have more performers announced and added to the lineup.

These artists will join Global Citizen to call on world leaders, major corporations, and foundations to do four things. First, the world needs to empower women and girls and invest $600 million into girls’ education, sexual and reproductive health, and economic empowerment. Second, we must take climate action to close the annual $10 billion climate financing shortfall. Third, leaders must do their part to alleviate the global food crisis and provide $500 million to help African farmers respond to the global food crisis. Finally, global citizens everywhere must deploy financing to provide urgent relief from crushing debts.

Empower Girls NOW

In the last two years, more than 47 million women and girls have been pushed back into extreme poverty, and the pandemic has forced millions of girls out of the classroom and into unpaid care work.

The US, UK, the European Commission, France, Germany, and Italy can change this by pledging $600 million in financial support towards UNFPA, Education Cannot Wait, and the Child Care Incentive Fund launched this year by the White House. This will support new policies addressing the expansion of paid parental leave including obligatory paternity leave and access to contraception and education.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas will host Global Citizen Festival: NYC
Priyanka Chopra Jonas will host Global Citizen Festival: NYC

Take Climate Action NOW

Africa accounts for just 3 to 4 percent of global emissions, yet finds itself on the frontlines of the effects of climate change. Extreme temperatures and droughts, such as those in Somalia, threaten to make a mockery of our attempts to end extreme poverty and protect the planet. African countries and businesses stand ready to invest in green jobs and infrastructure, but they need genuine partnership to deliver.

Having not contributed to the problem, it is unjust to expect that Africa shifts to renewable and clean energy without support from the wealthiest countries, who have indeed industrialized using fossil fuels over the past 150 years. Rich countries like Germany, Italy, the US, Canada, and Australia must fulfill the promise that was meant to be delivered by 2020 and close the annual $10 billion shortfall.

Usher will perform at Global Citizen Festival: Ghana
Usher will perform at Global Citizen Festival: Ghana

Mitigate a Global Food System Meltdown NOW

Africa is currently experiencing horrific food shortages as a result of Russia’s unjust invasion of Ukraine. Yet the continent has enough arable land to feed the world, let alone its own citizens.

Germany, the UK, the European Commission, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Belgium need to band together and provide funding to agencies like the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program, and CGIAR to urgently equip farmers with the resources they need. Failure to do so NOW will make the present hunger crisis far worse over the coming year, as food supplies diminish and prices soar even higher.

Metallica will perform at Global Citizen Festival: NYC
Metallica will perform at Global Citizen Festival: NYC

Deploy Financing NOW

Together, we can meet the total goal of reallocating $100 billion in IMF Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) by making up the $40 billion shortfall. SDRs are a type of reserve asset mostly sitting unused by the world’s wealthiest countries. These rights can immediately provide new and affordable financing relief for countries at high risk of financial and debt distress.  

There are 69 eligible low-income countries that stand to benefit from the reallocation of SDRs, many of which are in Africa. During the pandemic, many of these governments spent more on debt repayments than on education, health, and social protection benefits combined. This funding is needed NOW to ensure governments have what they need to invest in strengthening health systems and pandemic preparedness, and the nutrition, welfare, and education of their citizens. Denmark, Norway, Ireland, Belgium, Sweden, Luxembourg, Austria, Portugal, Korea, and Sweden can transfer their Special Drawing Rights to the developing countries that desperately need them right now.

Stormzy will perform at Global Citizen Festival: Ghana
Stormzy will perform at Global Citizen Festival: Ghana

Public Supporters NOW

The 2022 Global Citizen Festival and the End Extreme Poverty NOW campaign is supported by a coalition of the world’s leading brands and companies including Global Partners Accenture, Cisco, Citi, Delta Air Lines, Harith General Partners, P&G, Verizon, and YouTube. Global Citizen Festival: NYC Campaign Partner, World Wide Technology, has deepened their commitment to sustainability by signing the UN’s Race to Zero in line with the Science Based Targets initiative, answering Global Citizen’s call on corporations to make science-based targets.

As Patron of Global Citizen’s work in Africa, Tshepo Mahloele, Founder & Executive of Harith General Partners, supports Global Citizen’s growth across Africa to reach more audiences and help achieve equity in places with high rates of extreme poverty. Global Citizen Festival: NYC is also honored to have the support of Mayor Adams, 110th Mayor of New York City. 

Global Citizen is also publicly supported by over 20 world leaders, 49 policy partners, and 30 leading media companies. Those numbers will continue to grow as the world unites together to support all its global citizens.  

Maneskin will perform at Global Citizen Festival: NYC
Måneskin will perform at Global Citizen Festival: NYC

Get Involved NOW

Throughout the campaign, Global Citizen will continue to defend and promote advocacy, ensuring marginalized voices are heard and leaders are held accountable to deliver on their promises. Global Citizen will elevate citizens’ voices, especially from the Global South; defend the right of anyone to speak freely, dissent, and organize without fear of reprisals or violence; and call on corporations to refrain from using litigation to silence activists on the frontline. 

Without such efforts to champion the causes of those in peril, the achievement of our campaign goals will continue to be deprioritized by those in power. For more information about the 2022 Global Citizen Festival, visit the official website, and follow @glblctzn on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube.

Be sure to attend the 10th Annual Global Citizen Festival on September 24! Tickets to the festivals are free and can be earned by downloading the Global Citizen app or visiting www.globalcitizen.org to take action on the campaign’s issues. 

If you can’t attend in person, the festival will be broadcast and streamed on ABC, ABC News Live, FX, Hulu, iHeartRadio, TimesLIVE, Twitter, YouTube, and more. ABC News Live’s broadcast will air on Saturday, September 24, and a primetime special, Global Citizen Festival: Take Action NOW, will air on ABC on Sunday, September 25 at 7:00 pm ET / 6:00 pm CT. Additional tune-in details to follow in the coming weeks!

Related Articles: Global Citizen Announces 2022 Festival, Mustafa Ali Speaks at BIPOC Climate Justice Dialogue, HBCU Green Fund Strives to Make the World a Better Place