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 played host to a monumental day of advocacy and action, 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.
As always, after the Festival, if there are any necessary repairs to the Great Lawn due to the inclement weather experienced, Global Citizen will pay for the repairs.
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.”
The 2024 Global Citizen Festival was broadcast and streamed to the world on Amazon Music, Amazon Music channel on Twitch, Apple Music and the Apple TV app, Brut, Facebook, iHeartRadio, TikTok, Veeps, YouTube, the Global Citizen app and www.globalcitizen.org. It will also stream on ABC News Live on Disney+, Hulu, Samsung TV+, Amazon Fire TV devices, Roku, Tubi, and YouTube.
DEFEAT POVERTY
Since April, Global Citizen has been calling on the G20 countries to significantly increase their support for IDA – the World Bank’s fund dedicated to defeating poverty in 77 of the world’s lowest-income countries – in order to mobilize more than $120 billion at the IDA21 replenishment this December. During the Festival campaign, Denmark pledged $491 million to IDA, a substantial 40 percent increase over its previous contribution. Denmark’s Minister of Finance, Nicolai Wammen, and actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau highlighted the pledge on stage and thanked Global Citizen for their actions.
“Hello New York! Global Citizens! We have heard your voices!” said Nicolai Wammen, Denmark’s Minister for Finance. “That is why we intend to provide nearly 500 million dollars. That is an increase in Denmark’s contributions by 40 percent!” During his remarks He also stressed: "African leaders have called for the need to support IDA. And asked the international community to ensure that it is fully funded.
Spain and the United Kingdom also committed to increasing their contributions to IDA, with their formal contribution to be determined in the coming months. Denmark’s early pledge is particularly impactful as the country will assume the Presidency of the European Union in July 2025, sending a strong message to other EU nations that investments in international development must be a priority.
These commitments set the stage for the Economic Development Assembly: Advancing Africa’s Future, taking place on October 9 and 10 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, hosted by Global Citizen in partnership with Bridgewater Associates, Harith General Partners, and the Government of Côte d’Ivoire. Focused on mobilizing significant investments for the IDA21 replenishment, the assembly will convene Heads of State, finance ministers, private sector leaders, Multilateral Development Banks and civil society to address and dismantle development barriers across Africa, setting the continent’s trajectory for equitable and sustainable growth.
DEFEND THE PLANET
Governor Helder Barbalho of Para State in Brazil returned to the Global Citizen stage for the third time to announce new progress on existing commitments, with more than 500,000 hectares of the Brazilian Amazon newly protected and in addition, said that 200,000 hectares of regained indigenous lands will be reforested and returned. Brazil’s Minister of Indigenous Peoples Sônia Guajajara committed to removing illegal loggers, miners and invading farmers from indigenous territories in Brazil by COP30, which will take place in Para State in November 2025.
Colombia’s Susana Muhamad, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, addressed the Global Citizen Festival audience via video message to share that the country has taken key steps forward towards halting fossil fuel expansion in the Amazon. She announced that Colombia would be formalizing new restrictions on future oil and gas extraction projects in its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement and will convene the first ever dialogue between all Amazon nations to discuss activities regarding fossil fuels in the region
The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty offers a global framework to halt the expansion of new coal, oil, and gas projects while accelerating a just transition to renewable energy. In the week leading into the Global Citizen Festival, first former UN Secretary-General His Excellency Ban Ki-Moon made history during the Global Citizen NOW Health and Climate Sessions by publicly endorsing the treaty, which is backed by 14 nations, hundreds of elected officials, over 100 cities and subnational governments, and thousands of scientists and academics. Global Citizen Prize winner and climate champion, Brianna Fruean, highlighted that during the 2024 Festival campaign, Micronesia officially joined the coalition of countries advocating for the treaty, further reinforcing the global momentum building behind this movement.
DEMAND EQUITY
During the 2024 Global Citizen Festival, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, announced a $290 million commitment to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance – a significant increase – over the next two years, along with $240 million in humanitarian aid to address food security, reinforcing the EU’s leadership in global health and humanitarian efforts.
“Dear friends, your energy gives us strength to make the world a better place. Your commitment keeps us going. Thank you, New York and keep it up!” said Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.
Tony Robbins announced 10 billion more meals would be distributed towards his 100 Billion Meals Challenge goal through partnerships with organizations including Hatch for Hunger, Feed My Starving Children, and the National Pasta Association. He also pledged 55,000 metric tons of fertilizer would be donated to support one million smallholder farmers across the global south and enable low-income communities to grow their own food, and further strengthen both local and international food security.
Other commitments included the Government of Germany committing €15 million to the Alliance for Feminist Movements to advance gender equality across Africa. Malta pledged €30,000 to the WHO primarily to support operations in flood-affected Yemen. Additionally, the Adobe Foundation pledged $500,000 to Outright International to support LGBTQ+ rights worldwide, announced by former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Outright’s Executive Director Maria Sjödin.
The Global Citizen Festival is presented by Citi and Cisco. Major Partners are Bridgewater Associates, Delta Air Lines, Motsepe Foundation, PayPal and Venmo, P&G, Verizon and World Wide Technology; Production Partner Live Nation; Broadcast Partner ABC; Exclusive US Audio Partner iHeartMedia; and Location Partner New York City Parks. The 2024 Global Citizen Festival is produced by Emmy Award winning production companies Done and Dusted and Diversified Production Services.
Global Citizen is grateful for the support of leading media companies including: AIM Group, Atmosphere TV, Bella Naija, Billboard, Branded Cities, Brut, Captivate, Clear Channel Outdoor, Digital Mobile Media, EIB Network, Grocery TV, GSTV, iHeartMedia, Interstate Outdoor, OkayAfrica, MX Location, New Tradition, Orange Barrel Media, OUTFRONT Media, Penske Media, Rolling Stone, Seen Media, TimesLIVE, TouchTunes, Trooh Media, Vanguard, Vox Media, and The Wall Street Journal, Zikoko; and the support of in-kind partners Carbone Fine Food, Impossible Foods and Tony’s Chocolonely.
