The international advocacy organization, Global Citizen, has revealed many of the artists set to perform at Global Citizen Live events in Lagos, Nigeria as well as festivals in Paris, France and New York City, USA on September 25.
Across six continents, artists will help rally citizens in demanding that governments, major corporations, and philanthropists work together to defeat poverty and defend the planet by focusing on the most urgent, interrelated threats hitting those in poverty the hardest – climate change, vaccine equity, and famine.
In Lagos, Global Citizen is working with the Lagos State Government to create a limited-capacity event in celebration of Nigerians working on the frontline in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The show will be filmed in advance with a fully vaccinated audience.
- LAGOS, NIGERIA: Femi Kuti, Davido, Tiwa Savage, Made Kut
- PARIS, FRANCE: Ed Sheeran, Doja Cat, DJ Snake, H.E.R., Black Eyed Peas, Christine and the Queens; special guest appearance by Angélique Kidjo
- NEW YORK CITY, USA: Coldplay, Billie Eilish, Camila Cabello, Jennifer Lopez, Lizzo, Meek Mill, Shawn Mendes; special guest appearances by Alessia Cara, Burna Boy, Cyndi Lauper, Jon Batiste and Lang Lang
These events, with more to be announced later in August, are components of a once-in-a-generation, 24-hour worldwide event on September 25.
Broadcast and streaming partners include ABC, ABC News Live, BBC, FX, iHeartRadio, Hulu, YouTube, TIME, Twitter, and more (air dates and times to come).
African Artists donating their time and talent – whether live or filmed in advance – include Angélique Kidjo, Burna Boy, Davido, Femi Kuti, Made Kuti and Tiwa Savage, alongside Adam Lambert, Alessia Cara, Andrea Bocelli, Billie Eilish, Black Eyed Peas, BTS, Camila Cabello, Christine and the Queens, Coldplay, Cyndi Lauper, Demi Lovato, Doja Cat, DJ Snake, Duran Duran, Ed Sheeran, Green Day, H.E.R., Hugh Jackman & Deborra-lee Furness, Jon Batiste and Stay Human, Keith Urban, Lang Lang, Lizzo, Lorde, The Lumineers, Meek Mill, Metallica, Rag’n’Bone Man, Ricky Martin, Shawn Mendes, The Weeknd, and Usher from locations in Lagos, Rio de Janeiro, New York City, Paris, London, Seoul, Los Angeles, Sydney and more to be announced.
Coinciding with the UN General Assembly (Sept) before the G20 Meeting (Oct) and COP26 Meeting (Nov), these events focus on interconnected issues: vaccine equity, climate change, and famine.
Global Citizen Live will call on leaders to deliver by September: 1 billion trees planted and preserved to help prevent global temperatures from rising beyond 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels by curbing emissions and supporting 1t.org; 1 billion vaccines to the poorest countries; meals for the 41 million people on the brink of famine.
“As we humans spend billions of dollars in search of newer worlds in outer space, Global Citizen Live brings us back down to earth by reminding the global community that charity should begin at home and we must preserve our earth and be our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. We owe it to ourselves and generations yet unborn. Space can wait!” – Geoffrey Onyeama, Foreign Minister of Nigeria.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said: “Lagos State is thrilled to be a part of Global Citizen Live. With the challenges of rising poverty, hunger and vaccine inequity facing Africa, we need businesses and governments around the world to respond to the call of citizens, stand in solidarity with the people of Africa, and commit to defending the planet and defeating poverty and inequality.”
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said: “As wealthy countries are well on their way to reopening and returning to normal life, we now face a two-track pandemic of haves and have-nots. Over 75% of the more than 4 billion doses administered to date have occurred in just 10 countries while only 1% of people in low-income countries have received a dose. We cannot disregard this gross inequity or become complacent. This remains a global crisis, with emerging variants emanating from under vaccinated parts of the world continuing to threaten everyone’s lives and livelihoods. It will only end with global equitable access to vaccines and other life-saving medical supplies. That’s why I am pleased to support Global Citizen Live and join Global Citizen in their calls to public and private leaders to share the doses, financing, knowledge, technology, and political solidarity needed to end this pandemic.”
Singer-song-writer and activist Femi Kuti said: “I am honored to help bring Global Citizen Live to Lagos, as we lift the voices of Africans everywhere. But what is taking place on the continent right now is a tragedy. There is no reason that 1% of Nigerians have been vaccinated against covid while countries talk of booster shots. The G7 urgently needs to donate at least 1 billion doses by September. It’s time for our leaders to lead and act now.”
“I am very excited to perform at the Global Citizen Live concert this year. The timing for this call for unity couldn’t be more important,” said Angelique Kidjo. “There is an urgent need for us to work together across the globe and take action to protect our planet. Mother nature has a way of warning us. We need each other now.” – Singer-song-writer and activist Angelique Kidjo.
Global Citizen Live is part of Global Citizen’s overarching Recovery Plan for the World, a year-long campaign to help end COVID-19 by calling on governments, philanthropists, and the private sector for financial commitments to kickstart a global recovery. Ahead of October’s G20 Summit, and COP26, the Global Citizen Live campaign will call on world leaders, major corporations and foundations to defend the planet and defeat poverty by:
- Helping end the pandemic by donating at least 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to those most in need by September. With the growth of infections in sub-Saharan Africa now among the fastest in the world, and still less than 3% of Africans receiving a dose compared to over 50% in the United States, world leaders must finally act with the energy and urgency needed to stave off further catastrophe.
- Reverting the Hunger Crisis affecting 41 million people on the brink of famine by contributing at least $6 billion to famine relief efforts and the urgent provision of millions of meals. This is less than 1% of the $1 trillion currently sitting idle in private foundations in the US alone, yet new figures released show hunger has risen more in the last year compared to the last 5 years combined.
- Resuming education by getting 4.5 million kids most in need back to learning by contributing $400M towards education. With only one in three children globally able to access remote learning during COVID-19 and the pandemic causing more than a 50% increase in the number of children worldwide who have had their learning disrupted by crisis, millions of children may never return to school unless leaders act now.
- Combating catastrophic climate change by getting the world’s largest companies to join the Race to Zero this year, contribute to saving and restoring billions of trees, commit to becoming carbon neutral and developing verified science-based targets to reach net zero emissions, in line with The Paris Agreement — a global effort launched in 2015 that calls for immediate action to prevent global temperatures from rising beyond 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels. Only a quarter of Fortune Global 500 companies have made a public commitment to become carbon neutral, use 100% renewable power, or meet a science-based emission reduction target by 2030.
Health & Safety
All Global Citizen Live events comply with the latest COVID-19 health and safety guidelines.
In Lagos, Global Citizen is working with Lagos State Government to create a limited-capacity event in celebration of Nigerians working on the frontline in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The show will be filmed in advance with a fully-vaccinated audience.
At the Paris festival on the Champ de Mars, attendees must show proof of vaccination, or a negative COVID-19 test, as required by the French Government’s guidelines.
In New York City, at the festival on the Great Lawn in Central Park, attendees must be fully vaccinated no later than two weeks before the event (exceptions made for guests not able to be vaccinated – these guests must present a negative PCR test from within 72 hours of the show’s start to gain entry), and all attendees must be masked, regardless of vaccination status.
Global Citizen Live is supported by a corporate coalition, including Access Bank in Nigeria, alongside global partners, Accenture, Cisco, Citi, The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, Google, Live Nation, P&G, Salesforce, Verizon, and campaign partners WW International, and Worldwide Technology who will engage support from the private sector in driving new commitments toward the campaign’s policy objectives.
Campaign co-chairs include Chuck Robbins, Chairman and CEO of Cisco; Jane Fraser, CEO of Citi; James Quincey, Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company; Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines; Lorraine Twohill, CMO of Google; Michael Rapino, CEO of Live Nation; Marc Pritchard, CBO of P&G; Marc Benioff, Chair and CEO of Salesforce; Hans Vestberg, CEO of Verizon; and Mindy Grossman, CEO of WW International.
Executive Producers of the Global Citizen Live campaign include Michele Anthony for Universal Music Group, Mark Burnett, Francine Katsoudas, Tina Kennedy, Eric Ortner, Guy Oseary, Michael Rapino for Live Nation, Brian N. Sheth, Wassim “Sal” Slaiby and Chris Stadler.
The program will be executive produced by Jane Y. Mun, with producing partners Deviants Media, Diversified Production Services, Done and Dusted Productions, Ken Ehrlich Productions, Live Nation, Livewire Pictures, TMPL Motion Pictures, and U-Live (a UMG Nigeria company).
Global Citizen is grateful for the support from incredible organizations advocating for impact, including: The Asia Society, Ban Ki Moon Center, Climate Neutral, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation, Conservation International, COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator, Education Cannot Wait, GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, Global Solidarity Fund, Green Climate Fund, International Fund for Agricultural Development, International Rescue Committee, LISC, Namati , Nigeria Solidarity Support Fund (NSSF), One Acre Fund, 1t.org, American Forests, World Outright Action International, Paris Peace Forum, The Pathfinders, Re:Wild, Rotary International, Sheth Sangreal Foundation, Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), Slum2School Africa, South African Education Project, The Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, The Global Fund (to Fight TB, AIDS, Malaria), UNICEF, UNICEF Australia, UNITAID, UNFPA, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF), World Food Programme, World Health Organization, World Health Organization Foundation and the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents.
The Global Citizen Live campaign is also supported by over 30 governments and world leaders including: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Prime Minister of Italy and G20 Chair Mario Draghi, President of France Emmanuel Macron, President of Chile Sebastián Piñera, President of Argentina Alberto Fernández, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Prime Minister of Norway Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Belgium Alexander De Croo, Prime Minister of Fiji Frank Bainimarama, Foreign Minister of Nigeria Geoffrey Onyeama, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as well as United Nation Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, UK COP President Designate Alok Sharma, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry and the 8th Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon. The following governments are also supporting Global Citizen’s year long Recovery Plan for the World campaign: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala, Ireland, Mexico, Paraguay, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Singapore, South Africa, Saint Kitts and Nevis. The campaign is also supported by a bipartisan Honorary Congressional Committee chaired by Former Representative Charlie Dent (R-PA) and consisting of Senate Appropriations Chair Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT); Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD); Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH); Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD); House Appropriations Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Representative Young Kim (R-CA).
