NEW YORK (AP) — Shakira and The Weeknd will headline the 2025 Global Citizen Festival on the Great Lawn in Central Park on Sept. 27. The event, hosted by Global Citizen ambassador Hugh Jackman, will also feature performances from Tyla, Ayra Starr, and Mariah the Scientist. Additional participants will be announced soon.
This year’s Global Citizen festival campaign focuses on providing energy access to one million people across Africa, according to a release. The effort aims to ensure access to quality education and football—through a partnership with FIFA—for 30,000 children worldwide. Additionally, the campaign seeks to mobilize $200 million to protect 30 million hectares of the Amazon rainforest and to register 40,000 New Yorkers to volunteer across the city.
Tickets for the Global Citizen Festival are free and can be earned by taking action on these issues through the Global Citizen app or website.
“I’m honored to headline the incredible Global Citizen Festival in Central Park this September,” said Shakira in a statement. “Music has always been my way of connecting with people and leaving a mark on the world. I can’t wait to perform, unite, and inspire action.”
Jackman added, “The 2025 Global Citizen Festival marks my eleventh year as host, and I’m thrilled by the progress we’ve made over the years. The growing impact of the Global Citizen movement touches every corner of the world, and I’m eager to advocate alongside my fellow ambassadors, performers, world leaders, and private sector executives to leave the world better than we found it.”
Global Citizen was one of the co-producers behind the first-ever FIFA Club World Cup halftime show on July 13 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, featuring Doja Cat, J Balvin, Tems, and Coldplay with Emmanuel Kelly.