Shakira and Cardi B headlined Global Citizen Festival in NYC’s Central Park on Saturday, September 27.
From Central Park to the world was the slogan that accompanied the audience during the thirteenth edition of the Global Citizen Festival in NYC. Global Citizen is the world’s largest movement to extreme poverty. It brought over 60.000 people from all countries in The Great Lawn. Everybody danced and sang as one, united by a common goal: taking action for a better world. This year’s festival was hosted by no less than Hugh Jackman, together with Kristen Bell, Adam Lambert, Tony Goldwyn, Bill Nye, Danai Guarira, Liza Kosher and Laurie Hernandez, Nate Burleson, Fran Katsoudas and Vladimir Duthiers. The entire show was streamed in 75 countries around the world and took a record-breaking 4.3 million actions.
Opening the day, the ceremonial movement Solstice Unites performed an historic Global Powwow, to pay tribute to the land and its ancestral custodians and to pass the torch to Indigenous leaders in Brazil, where will take place the next Global Citizen Festival on November 1. Fogo Azul, a women-led samba reggae marching band set the show in motion, with a powerful performance, preparing the crowd for an explosive night.
To launch an unforgettable festival, Elyanna took the stage. The Palestinian-Chilean artist managed to capture the audience’s attention with her magnetic voice and mesmerizing dance. Elyanna’s unmistakable arabic sound hides a latin soul, which warmed the crowd from the very first note.
The second artist radiated pure energy. Camilo kicked off the stage to the rhythm of latin pop vibes. He brought the sunshine colors of his stage in The Great Lawn and spread love all over the crowd, from the first row to the very last audience member. Talking about his beloved homeland, Colombia, the singer reminded to everyone that, at times, “listening to the planet is itself the true revolution” we need.
The following performer hailed from Nigeria, Ayra Starr brought her intense afropop music right in the middle of Manhattan. Then, as her powerful performance wasn’t enough, she returned to the stage with a very special guest , Rema. The crowd went wild when they performed his Global #1 hit “Calm Down“. The two artists shared a tender moment with the audience, asking them to raise their phone lights, creating a striking visual in support of the pledge and commitment to bring renewable energy to the African continent, their home country.
Mariah the Scientist took the stage and turned it into a battlefield of passion and emotion. Her set captivated the audience with its raw vulnerability and soulful melodies. Her set almost felt like a metaphor for the countless battles every Global Citizen is prepared to take on for the common good.
Tyla immediately captured the audience’s attention, standing still at the center of the stage, lit only by the glow of the screen. Her performance turned out to be both sensual and captivating, mirroring the essence of her music. The crowd went wild, screaming and singing along in sync with her every move.
As the night grew hotter, Global Citizen Festival turned up the heat even more by bringing out the first of the day’s two headliners: Cardi B. Dressed in a simple outfit that highlighted her baby bump, the rapper took command of the stage from the very first moment, setting it ablaze. She served up both new and old tracks, proving once again that her energy is unmatched. The crowd went wild when, after the opening song, Cardi B tossed her jacket into the pit with a playful shout of “Who wants me?”. The relentless rhythm of her music left no room for distraction, there was nothing to do but feel the beat. Her performance was so gripping that it seemed to fly by in just a few minutes.
Just before the final headliner, Rosé treated her fans—and Blackpink fans alike—to her first solo festival appearance. She captivated everyone with a very intimate and delicate performance, surprising the crowd with her hit “APT” and covers of “Linger” and “Toxic Till the End“.
The cherry on top of the night was Shakira. The Grand Lawn erupted as soon as the first notes of the artist filled the air. Her unmistakable energy and power had over 60.000 people dancing and singing in unison to hits like “She Wolf”, “Whenever, Wherever”, “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)”, and “Hips Don’t Lie”. Effortlessly, Shakira took command of the stage, turning it into her kingdom—a mix of Latin soul and cosmopolitan energy. With phones raised to capture an epic finale, the audience couldn’t take their eyes off her. Between those swept away by the music and those making sure not to miss a single word, Central Park became, for one night, a temple of music and activism, celebrating the actions and causes championed by Global Citizen.
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