Global Citizen Live was the 2021 instance of the Global Citizen Festival, so named because it was broadcast live internationally from cities across six continents around the world on 25 and 26 September 2021.
Background Global Citizen has held an annual music festival since 2012, one of the organization's main events to raise awareness of global poverty and climate change; founded in 2008, it aims to end poverty by 2030. The live 2021 festival, held across six continents, was the largest, as part of Global Citizen's 2021 Recovery Plan for the World program. Added to the festival mission was an aim to help bring an end to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on vaccine equity. It was timed to occur during the G20 summit and UN general assembly meetings. Global Citizen had held "Vax Live: The Concert To Reunite The World" earlier in 2021.
Festival
Compared to Live Aid and one of the biggest international charity events ever, the festival featured live global performances from some of the world's top recording and classical artists across various cultures. More than 60 artists were scheduled to perform. Simon Le Bon, who performed with Duran Duran at both Live Aid and Global Citizen Live, said that the intention of Live Aid had "diminished in people's minds" and become forgotten. The band's bassist John Taylor said that Global Citizen Live was the closest thing to Live Aid in the age of streaming, and would not be possible without Live Aid and Band Aid creating the precedent.
Global Citizen estimated that tens of thousands of people would attend the in-person events, and millions would watch the live broadcasts. Tickets were free, and awarded at random to people who shared Global Citizen campaigns through their app; attendees had to prove either a negative COVID-19 test or vaccination against it. The organization does not aim to raise money with the festival, but encourage people to take action - and pressure leaders to take action - on global issues. However, prior to the festival, Global Citizen reaches out to corporations, organizations and even nations for financial and material pledges towards reaching its aims, which are then announced between performances during the festival.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made an appearance at the New York event, calling for global vaccine equity.
Performances Several performances were pre-recorded. Some locations did not have live events open to the public, but were broadcast live. The live performances were held over the 24 hour period beginning at 1pm on September 25 in New York.
Sources: CityVenueHost(s)Artist(s)SongsOceaniaSydney, Australia (UTC+1000)Sydney Opera HouseDelta Goodrem"Keep Climbing""Born to Try""The Show Must Go On""The Power"AsiaSeoul, South Korea (UTC+0900)Sungnyemun GateBTS"Permission to Dance""Butter"Mumbai, India (UTC+0530)Gateway of IndiaPriyanka Chopra, Anil Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Riteish Deshmukh, Ananya Panday, Janhvi Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, Sara Ali Khan, Dia MirzaFarhan Akhtar"Mard"Ajay–Atul"Zingaat""Vishwam Bharatam Swagatam""Deva Shri Ganesha""Vande Mataram"Badshah featuring Aastha Gill"Paani Paani""No Mercy""Genda Phool""Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai"Tanishk BagchiMedley (featuring Zara Khan, Yasser Desai and Nikhita Gandhi)Amit Trivedi"Songs of Faith" medley (featuring Yashita Sharma and Devender Pal Singh)AfricaJohannesburg, South Africa (UTC+0200)Sho MadjoziMuziLagos, Nigeria (UTC+0100)New Afrika ShrineDavido"Ke Star""Blow My Mind""Jowo""If""Fia""La La" (with CKay)"Fall"Femi Kuti"Water No Get Enemy" featuring Made Kuti and Seun KutiMade Kuti"I Won't Run Away"Seun KutiTiwa Savage"Attention""Koroba""Tales by Moonlight" (with Amaarae)"Somebody's Son"Alhanislam"Conscience"EuropeMadrid, Spain (UTC+0200)Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad de MadridCamilo"Vida de Rico""KESI""Machu Picchu" (with Evaluna Montaner)Paris, France (UTC+0200)Champ de MarsBlack Eyed Peas"Let's Get It Started""Pump It""Hit It""Ritmo (Bad Boys for Life)""Girl Like Me""Where Is the Love?""I Gotta Feeling"Christine and the Queens"Fais comme l'oiseau""People, I've Been Sad""Tilted""Doesn't Matter (Voleur de soleil)""Freedom"Doja Cat"Rules""Juicy""Like That""Kiss Me More""Tia Tamera""Need to Know""Say So"Elton John"Tiny Dancer""Your Song""After All" "Rocket Man"Angélique Kidjo”Mother Nature”Måneskin"I Wanna Be Your Slave""Bury a Friend""For Your Love""Beggin'""Zitti e buoni"Fatma SaidEd Sheeran"Shivers""Thinking Out Loud""Bloodstream""Perfect""Shape of You""Bad Habits"Lajatico, Italy (UTC+0200)Teatro del SilenzioAndrea BocelliLondon, United Kingdom (UTC+0100)Sky GardenDuran DuranKylie Minogue"Can't Get You Out of My Head""Dance Floor Darling"Rag'n'Bone ManNile Rodgers and Chic”Le Freak” “We Are Family”Stormzy with Rabea Massaad"Crown""Rachael's Little Brother""Lessons"South AmericaBuenos Aires, Argentina (UTC-0300)Kirchner Cultural CentreLali"Boomerang""Laligera""Bailo Pa' Mi"Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (UTC-0300)Sugarloaf MountainDedé TeicherCriolo and DJ DanDan"Sistema Obtuso" (with Tropkillaz)Liniker"Lili""Baby 95"Mart'nália"Chamego Bom""17 de Janiero" (with Mosquito)Manaus, Brazil (UTC-0400)the AmazonAlok"Amazon""Jungle Beat"Indigenous peoples of Brazil, including:
Mapu (of the Huni Kuin) Aldeia Mutum (of the Yawanawa) Owerá-Kunumi MC Rasú (of the Yawinawá) Guaraní peopleNorth AmericaLouisville, United States (UTC-0400)Highland Festival Grounds at the Kentucky Expo CenterMetallica"Hardwired""The Four Horsemen""Home (Sanitarium)" "The Struggle Within""My Friend of Misery""The God That Failed""Of Wolf and Man""Nothing Else Matters""Through the Never""Don't Tread on Me""Wherever I May Roam""The Unforgiven""Holier Than Thou""Sad but True""Enter Sandman""Blackened""Creeping Death"New York City, United States (UTC-0400)Great LawnJon Batiste"We Are""Whatchutalkinbout""I Need You""Boyhood""One Love""Don't Worry, Be Happy""Lean on Me""Tell the Truth""Cry""Moonlight Sonata""Don't Stop""Freedom"Burna Boy"On the Low""Jerusalema (Remix)""Kilometre""Anybody"Camila Cabello"Havana""Never Be the Same""Senorita" "Empire State of Mind""Don't Go Yet"Alessia Cara"Scars to Your Beautiful""Best Days""Stay"Coldplay"Higher Power""Clocks" "Fix You" "Viva la Vida""Human Heart" "Jehovah" "Yellow" "My Universe" "A Sky Full of Stars"Billie Eilish"Bad Guy""My Future""Oxytocin""Your Power""All the Good Girls Go to Hell""Happier Than Ever"Lang Lang"Bohemian Rhapsody""Imagine" "The Greatest Love of All""We Are the World" Cyndi Lauper"Girls Just Want to Have Fun""True Colors" Lizzo"Good as Hell""Rumors""Truth Hurts""Juice"Jennifer Lopez"Cambia el Paso" (with Rauw Alejandro)"All I Have" "I'm Glad""I'm Real (Murder Remix)" "Ain't It Funny (Murder Remix)" "Jenny From the Block" (with Jadakiss)"On My Way"Skip Marley"One Love/Get Up, Stand Up" ("Bob Marley medley")(featuring Nile Rodgers, Angélique Kidjo, Jon Batiste, Chris Martin)Meek Mill"Going Bad""I'm a Boss""Dreams and Nightmares"Shawn Mendes"Wonder""There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back""If I Can't Have You""Monster""Treat You Better""Summer of Love""In My Blood"Paul Simon"The Boxer""The Sound of Silence"Pier 17Fugees"Ready or Not""Zealots""Killing Me Softly""Fu-Gee-La""Cause and Effect"Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms ParkLorde"Solar Power""Fallen Fruit"Berkeley, United States (UTC-0700)William Randolph Hearst Greek TheatreMy Morning Jacket"One Big Holiday""Touch Me I'm Going to Scream Pt. 2""Wordless Chorus""Spring (Among the Living)""Feel You""Regularly Scheduled Programming""Love Love Love""Climbing the Ladder" "Run It""Tropics (Erase Traces)""Master Plan""I'm Amazed""Circuital""Wasted""Steam Engine""What a Wonderful Man""Phone Went West""Victory Dance""Touch Me I'm Going to Scream Pt. 1""Mahgeetah"Las Vegas, United States (UTC-0700)MGM Grand Garden ArenaRicky Martin"Vente Pa' Ca""Qué Rico Fuera""Livin' la Vida Loca"The Colosseum at Caesars PalaceKeith UrbanLos Angeles, United States (UTC-0700)Greek Theatre5 Seconds of Summer"She Looks So Perfect""Teeth""Ghost of You""Youngblood"Chloe x Halle"Ungodly Hour""Baby Girl""Do It""Have Mercy""Cool People"Green Day"Pollyanna"Boulevard of Broken DreamsLongviewH.E.R."Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)""Bloody Waters""Fight for You""Hold On""Are You Gonna Go My Way""We Made It"Adam Lambert"Superpower"Demi Lovato"Anyone""Mad World" The Lumineers"Cleopatra""Brightside""Ophelia""Gloria""Stubborn Love"Migos"Avalanche""Bad and Boujee"OneRepublic"Good Life""I Lived""Secrets""Apologize""Someday""Counting Stars"Ozuna"MAMACITA""Caramelo""Del Mar""Taki Taki"Stevie Wonder"Superstition" "Overjoyed""The Living Killing Life""This I Know" UnknownDJ SnakeDeborra-Lee FurnessHugh JackmanUsherThe Weeknd
Appearances Politicians and leaders
Ban Ki-moon Xavier Bettel Chris Coons Bill de Blasio Mario Draghi Meryame Kitir David Malpass Micheál Martin Strive Masiyiwa Narendra Modi Nancy Pelosi Andrej Plenković Pedro Sánchez Chuck Schumer Erna Solberg Aaditya Thackeray Ursula von der Leyen
Conservationists Jane Goodall Monja Cohen Sadhguru
Entertainers
Amitabh Bachchan
Broadcast The festival was broadcast around the world and was available to livestream on various platforms.
Nine Network in Australia VRT in Belgium Multishow and Bis in Brazil Caracol Televisión in Colombia TF1 and TMC in France and Monaco Zee TV in India NET in Indonesia Sky Uno and TV8 in Italy TV Azteca in Mexico SABC in South Africa RTVE Play in Spain BBC in the United Kingdom ABC (live) and FX in the United States
The television broadcast in the United Kingdom was stopped for a period to show Strictly Come Dancing, but all performances were available via the BBC iPlayer.
Broadcasting live to the same feed from six continents and the International Space Station posed a technical challenge described as "once in a generation".
Notes
References