The 2024 Global Citizen Festival campaign has resulted in $1 billion in commitments to defeat poverty, defend the planet, and demand equity for the world’s most marginalized communities. Central Park hosted a monumental day of advocacy and action today, where 60,000 global citizens gathered to hear world leaders, philanthropists, and the private sector make historic commitments in response to their advocacy, having taken a record-breaking 3.4 million actions on Global Citizen’s platforms.
Underscored by electrifying performances and appearances from the biggest names in music and entertainment, the twelfth festival advanced Global Citizen’s mission and saw historic announcements, including that FIFA and Global Citizen are set to work together to help end extreme poverty and to improve access to sport and quality education for children worldwide. The announcement was made on stage by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Global Citizen CEO Hugh Evans, and Hugh Jackman, with DJ Khaled and Gayle King also in attendance at the event. Under the partnership, Global Citizen will produce the first-ever FIFA World Cup™ final half-time show, which will be held at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, 19 July 2026. Additionally, the four-year link-up will include the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™, a brand-new competition which features 32 clubs from all six continental confederations that will be held across 11 American cities in 2025. Football fans everywhere will be able to act with Global Citizen on issues such as ensuring all children have access to education, to promotions related to earning tickets to FIFA Club World Cup™ matches. More details on these initiatives will be announced in the coming months.
Hosted by long-time Global Citizen Ambassador Hugh Jackman, the 2024 Global Citizen Festival included incredible performances from some of the world’s biggest artists. Benson Boone opened the show with a powerful set, sending the crowd wild with his breakout hit, “Beautiful Things”, and Calvin Royal III, Principal Dancer of American Ballet Theatre, performed a self-choreographed solo set to “Hallelujah”. The man of the moment, Jelly Roll took the stage, the crowd singing along to his hit “Wild Ones” featuring a surprise appearance by Jessie Murph. RAYE’S breathtaking set included “Oscar Winning Tears” and her smash hit “Escapism”. Pacific Island choir This Is Our Home delivered a moving performance and advocated for countries to endorse the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. Rauw Alejandro’s sizzling set included his hit “Todo De Ti”, his new song ‘Pasaporte’ and he told the crowd, ”now is the time for leaders to really commit to protect and restore our planet before it’s too late.”
In her first-ever solo festival performance, global superstar LISA performed her chart-topper “ROCKSTAR” and treated fans to a performance of her brand new unreleased track “Moonlit Floor”. ALOK & The Future Is Ancestral highlighted the urgent need to protect the Amazon rainforest during their set. Doja Cat lit up the night sky, performing smash hits “Agora Hills” and “Paint The Town Red”, telling the audience “right now, millions of men, women, and children — in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, the Congo and all across the world are suffering… I joined forces with Global Citizen to help people in areas of conflict and crisis, and I know so many of you joined me in taking action to earn your tickets to be here tonight.”
Surprising the crowd with an unforgettable acoustic set were Coldplay’s Chris Martin and Ed Sheeran who performed “Yellow” and “Thinking Out Loud”. To close the show, Post Malone brought the house down with a headline set which featured mega-hits “I Had Some Help”, “Circles”, and “Sunflower.”
“We are so grateful to this city for letting us call the Great Lawn home for the last 12 years, and to you – you are the engine of this movement, said Hugh Evans, Co-Founder & CEO, Global Citizen Festival. “From calling on G20 nations to increase their funding to the World Bank to enable loans for 75 of the world’s poorest countries, to advocating to protect and restore the Amazon, the actions you took to be here tonight have a huge impact.”
Head over to The UNTITLED Podcast for our exclusive interview with Global Citizen co-founder Michael Sheldrick for an insightful conversation about his journey in social impact and more on Global Citizen’s mission.
To hear the full interview, now available on all major streaming platforms, tune into The UNTITLED Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music, and more of your favorite podcast channels.
