The Weeknd and Shakira to Headline 2025 Global Citizen Festival, With Tyla, Ayra Starr and Mariah the Scientist

The Weeknd and Shakira will headline the 2025 Global Citizen Festival, with Tyla, Ayra Starr and Mariah the Scientist performing as well, the international advocacy organization has announced.

The festival will take place on Central Park’s Great Lawn on September 27, with Global Citizen ambassador Hugh Jackman hosting. Additional participants to be announced in the coming weeks. 

The lineup continues the festival’s long history of top-name performers; last year’s included Post Malone, Doja Cat, Jelly Roll, Benson Boone and Raye.

As the United States abdicates its longstanding role as a leader in aiding the underprivileged people of the world, the 2025 Global Citizen Festival campaign will focus on providing energy access for 1 million people across Africa, ensuring 30,000 children around the world can access a quality education as well as soccer, in partnership with FIFA. The event aims to mobilize $200 million to protect 30 million hectares of the Amazon rainforest, and registering 40,000 New Yorkers to volunteer across the City Tickets to the Global Citizen Festival are free and can be earned by taking action on these issues on the Global Citizen app or at globalcitizenfestival.com. 

“I’m honored to headline the incredible Global Citizen Festival in Central Park this September. 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,” said Shakira.

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.”

The Global Citizen Festival is presented by Cisco. Major Partners are Authentic Brands Group, Bridgewater Associates, Delta Air Lines, PayPal and Venmo, and P&G; Production Partner Live Nation; Exclusive U.S. Audio Partner iHeartMedia; and Location Partner New York City Parks. The 2025 Global Citizen Festival is produced by Emmy Award winning production companies Done+Dusted and Diversified Production Services.

To earn free tickets to the 2025 Global Citizen Festival, download the Global Citizen app or visit globalcitizenfestival.com and take action towards three campaigns goals:

Goal 1: Provide Energy Access for 1 Million People Across Africa

As Africa’s population grows, so does its demand for electricity, yet too many communities still lack reliable energy. To address this, Global Citizen’s ‘Scaling Up Renewables in Africa’ campaign aims to mobilize $1.5 billion to train 50,000 young workers in critical energy skills like solar installation, grid maintenance, and energy services. The 2025 Global Citizen Festival campaign is calling on governments, companies, and philanthropists to step up with major commitments to invest in clean, affordable solutions to power homes, schools, hospitals, and businesses. In partnership with the European Commission, Global Citizen is catalyzing private sector investment in at least two major infrastructure projects, valued at over $500 million, with co-funding from governments including Denmark, Australia, and the United Kingdom. These investments have the potential to bring clean, reliable energy to at least 1 million people across the continent while creating jobs, reducing carbon emissions, and accelerating Africa’s green energy transition.

Goal 2: Mobilize $200 Million to Protect 30 Million Hectares of the Amazon Rainforest

To defend the planet, we must protect the Amazon from deforestation. Indigenous communities are leading the way to protect, restore, and re-wild the rainforest by growing food, making natural products, and passing down traditions that generate new, profitable income streams. Global Citizen and Re:wild are partnering to raise $200 million to support the next generation of indigenous and community-based entrepreneurs as part of a larger $1 billion plan to protect and restore the Amazon. These projects will help protect up to 30 million hectares of rainforest, approximately the size of Italy, and keep more than 20 billion trees standing. The 2025 Global Citizen Festival campaign is urging the German, Norwegian, and French governments, along with corporations and philanthropists, to protect the Amazon. Together, we can support over 20 Indigenous groups and help protect one of the most important forests on Earth.

Goal 3: Provide Access to Education for 30,000 Children Around the World

According to UNESCO, 250 million children worldwide are falling behind on basic literacy skills. In response, Global Citizen and FIFA launched the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, to raise $100 million to provide at least 100,000 children worldwide with access to quality education by providing grants for community-based programs in over 150 countries. Already, $1 from every ticket sold to international events, such as The Weeknd’s ‘After Hours Til Dawn’ tour and the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, have been donated to the fund. Through round-up donations from the public, corporate and philanthropic contributions, and matching gifts, ticket sales donations, this year’s Global Citizen Festival campaign aims to raise at least $30 million – enough to help 30,000 children learn to read and write.

The 2025 Global Citizen Festival campaign is also calling on governments, philanthropies, and the private sector to fund essential services of healthcare, nutrition, and safe classrooms that make it possible for children to access educational opportunities.

The Global Citizen Festival supports and partners with mission-aligned nonprofit organizations across New York’s five boroughs, including: Bowery Mission, Covenant House, Breaking Ground, Citymeals on Wheels, Henry Street Settlement, Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy, South Asian Youth Action (SAYA), South Bronx Unite and WIN (Women in Need, Inc). Additionally, Global Citizen is partnering with Goodera to drive 40,000 to sign-up for volunteer opportunities to earn points towards festival tickets by providing career development mentorship for young people around the world, such as resume guidance, and interview coaching.

This year, Global Citizen joins Colossal as the official charity partner of their America’s Next Top Hitmaker competition, where one standout performer of over 65,000 participants will take the stage at the Global Citizen Festival pre-show on September 27. Voting closes on July 31, 2025. Learn more at tophitmaker.org.

Global Citizen also receives support from leading media companies including Atmosphere TV, Branded Cities, Captivate, Clear Channel, Grocery TV, GSTV, iHeart Media, New Tradition, Orange Barrel, Outfront Media, PMC: Penske Media Corporation, Secret NYC, Seen Media, TouchTunes and Trooh.