The Global Citizen Festival is an annual music festival founded in 2012 by Ryan Gall and Hugh Evans. Organized by the Global Poverty Project, the festival was inspired by Gall's visit to Austin City Limits, where he envisioned replacing corporate branding with that of charities.
September 29, 2012: First Global Citizen Festival in New York City
The inaugural Global Citizen Festival took place on September 29, 2012, at Central Park's Great Lawn in New York City, featuring performances by renowned artists like The Foo Fighters, The Black Keys, John Legend, Band of Horses, K'naan, and Neil Young & Crazy Horse.
2012: Inception of Global Citizen Festival
In 2012, Ryan Gall, inspired by Austin City Limits, envisioned a music festival promoting charities instead of corporate brands. This led to the foundation of the Global Citizen Festival, organized by the Global Poverty Project, which Gall co-founded with Hugh Evans.
2012: Collaboration with Goldenvoice
Ryan Gall and Hugh Evans, the founders of the Global Citizen Festival, partnered with concert promoter Goldenvoice to launch the first festival in 2012 on the Great Lawn of Central Park.
September 28, 2013: Second annual festival with focus on key themes
The second Global Citizen Festival, held on September 28, 2013, featured headliners Stevie Wonder, Kings of Leon, Alicia Keys, and John Mayer. The event highlighted crucial themes like education, women's equality, global health, and global partnerships.
2014: Third festival with prominent figures and performances
The 2014 Global Citizen Festival witnessed a powerful lineup including Alicia Keys, Tiësto, Fun, The Roots, Carrie Underwood, No Doubt with Sting, and Jay Z with Beyoncé. The event featured notable speakers like Queen Silvia of Sweden, Prime Ministers Narendra Modi of India and Erna Solberg of Norway, and a pre-recorded message from US President Barack Obama.
2015: Chris Martin becomes curator
In 2015, Coldplay's lead vocalist, Chris Martin, took on the role of curator for the Global Citizen Festival for the next 15 years.
2015: Alignment with UN SDGs
Since 2015, the Global Citizen Festival aligned its goals with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, aiming to eradicate extreme poverty by 2030.
2015: Star-studded performances and appearances
The 2015 Global Citizen Festival was a grand affair with performances by Beyoncé and Ed Sheeran, Coldplay and Ariana Grande, Pearl Jam and Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran and Chris Martin, and Fall Out Boy. The event also saw appearances by prominent figures like Stephen Colbert, Hugh Jackman, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Vice President Joe Biden and First Lady Michelle Obama.
January 2016: Hong Kong broadcast of 2015 festival
In January 2016, Hong Kong's free-to-air TV channel TVB Pearl aired the 2015 Global Citizen Festival, extending its reach to a wider audience.
September 17, 2016: Global Citizen Canada
Preceding the New York festival, Global Citizen Canada took place on September 17, 2016, at Montreal's Bell Centre, featuring Usher and The Roots, Metric, Grimes, Half Moon Run, and Charlotte Cardin. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Bill Gates made special appearances.
2016: New York City festival with Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, and more
The 2016 Global Citizen Festival in New York City saw electrifying performances by Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, Demi Lovato, Major Lazer, Metallica, Usher, Chris Martin, Eddie Vedder, Ellie Goulding, Yandel, and Yusuf / Cat Stevens. Notable figures like Chelsea Handler, Deborra-Lee and Hugh Jackman, Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra, Salma Hayek Pinault, and Seth Meyers also graced the event.
2016: Global Citizen Festival in Mumbai
The 2016 Global Citizen Festival expanded to Mumbai, India, headlined by Coldplay and Jay Z. The event witnessed performances by Demi Lovato, A. R. Rahman, The Vamps, and several prominent Indian artists. Notable figures from Indian cinema and sports, including Shah Rukh Khan, Sachin Tendulkar, and others, graced the occasion.
2017: Global Citizen Festival in Hamburg
Held on July 6, 2017, at the Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg, the Global Citizen Festival featured performances by Coldplay, Shakira, Herbert Grönemeyer, Pharrell Williams, Ellie Goulding, Demi Lovato, and others. Political figures like Justin Trudeau, Erna Solberg, Mauricio Macri, and Sigmar Gabriel also made appearances.
2017: Impact of ticket distribution model
In 2017, Global Citizen's unique ticket distribution model, which encouraged charitable acts for entry, resulted in 1.6 million actions, generating $3.2 billion in commitments for sustainable development and impacting 221 million people, as reported by Time.
2017: New York City festival with Stevie Wonder and Green Day
The 2017 Global Citizen Festival in New York City saw powerful performances by Stevie Wonder, Green Day, The Killers, The Lumineers, The Chainsmokers, Pharrell Williams, Big Sean, Andra Day, and Alessia Cara. The event was graced by notable figures like Hugh Jackman, Demi Lovato, Jane Goodall, Whoopi Goldberg, Priyanka Chopra, and others.
2018: Invitation to the G20 Buenos Aires summit
During the 2017 Global Citizen Festival in Hamburg, Argentinian President Mauricio Macri extended an invitation to the organization to participate in the 2018 G20 Buenos Aires summit.
2018: Global Citizen Festival 2018
The 2018 Global Citizen Festival was held in New York City's Central Park on September 29th. The event featured performances by Janet Jackson, The Weeknd, Shawn Mendes, Cardi B, and Janelle Monáe, with a special appearance by John Legend. Notable figures such as Hugh Jackman, Deborra-lee Furness, and Chris Martin hosted and presented. An incident involving a loud noise, initially mistaken for an active shooter threat but later attributed to a crushed bottle, caused temporary disruption and some injuries.
2019: Global Citizen Festival 2019
The 2019 Global Citizen Festival took place at Central Park's Great Lawn in New York City on September 28th. The lineup included headliners Queen + Adam Lambert, Pharrell Williams, Alicia Keys, OneRepublic, H.E.R., and Carole King, along with special guests French Montana, Ben Platt, Jon Batiste and Stay Human, David Gray, and NCT 127. Hugh Jackman and Deborra-lee Furness returned to host, joined by a diverse group of co-hosts.
2020: One World: Together at Home
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Global Citizen Festival was canceled and replaced with "One World: Together at Home" on April 18th. This globally televised benefit concert, curated by Lady Gaga, supported the World Health Organization and promoted social distancing. Artists performed live from their homes, and celebrities hosted segments.
2021: Global Citizen Live
The 2021 Global Citizen event, "Global Citizen Live," took place on September 25th and 26th. It was held in multiple cities worldwide, including Lagos, Seoul, Paris, New York City, Rio de Janeiro, Los Angeles, London, Mumbai, and Sydney.
2022: Global Citizen Festival 2022
The 2022 Global Citizen Festival was held on September 24th at Central Park's Great Lawn in New York City. The event featured Metallica, Charlie Puth, the Jonas Brothers, Måneskin, Mariah Carey, Mickey Guyton, and Rosalía as headliners, with Priyanka Chopra Jonas hosting.
2023: Global Citizen Festival 2023
The 2023 Global Citizen Festival took place on September 23rd at Central Park's Great Lawn in New York City, featuring performances by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Jung Kook, Anitta, Conan Gray, D-Nice, Sofia Carson, and Stray Kids.
2030: Target for ending extreme poverty
The Global Citizen Festival and the UN's Sustainable Development Goals both target 2030 as the year to achieve the ambitious goal of ending extreme global poverty.