2019 Global Citizen Festival to be Headlined by Queen + Adam Lambert, Pharrell Williams, Alicia Keys, OneRepublic, H.E.R., and Carole King

Hosted by Deborra-lee Furness and Hugh Jackman

Co-hosted by Matt Bomer, Rachel Brosnahan, Elvis Duran, Taraji P. Henson,

Rami Malek, Bill Nye, Joy Reid, and Forest Whitaker

Festival Encourages Global Citizens to Power the Movement to End Extreme Poverty,

Calling on World Leaders to Fight Diseases Including HIV/AIDS and Polio, Empower Women and Girls, Combat Plastic Pollution, and Provide Quality Education for All

The 2019 Global Citizen Festival will be presented by Citi and Cisco

MSNBC, Comcast NBCUniversal and iHeartMedia will serve as Presenting Media Partners,

and will Air the Festival on MSNBC, iHeartMedia Radio Stations and on the iHeartRadio App

on September 28th

August 12, 2019 - New York, NY - International advocacy organization Global Citizen today announced that Queen + Adam Lambert, Pharrell Williams, Alicia Keys, OneRepublic, H.E.R., and Carole King will headline the 2019 Global Citizen Festival, the free-ticketed event on the Great Lawn in Central Park in New York City on Saturday, September 28, 2019, presented by Citi and Cisco. 

For the sixth consecutive year, MSNBC & Comcast NBCUniversal will air a live simulcast of the Festival on MSNBC and for the eighth consecutive year, iHeartMedia will broadcast the Festival live across its radio stations nationwide and stream the event digitally on iHeartRadio.

Special guest performances will be given by French Montana, Ben Platt, and Jon Batiste & Stay Human.

Deborra-lee Furness and Hugh Jackman will return as hosts. 

The Festival will be co-hosted by Matt Bomer, Rachel Brosnahan, Elvis Duran, Taraji P. Henson, Rami Malek, Bill Nye, Joy Reid and Forest Whitaker. 

2019 is a critical year for the movement to end extreme poverty - with 2020 marking the ten year countdown to achieve the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development; the blueprint to achieve an equitable future for all.

Building on momentum by activists from across the globe and coinciding with the annual UN General Assembly meetings, Global Citizens will stand together and call for government, businesses, and philanthropists to uphold their responsibilities towards fighting deadly infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Malaria, tuberculosis and polio, empowering women and girls around the world, combating plastic pollution to protect the poorest parts of the planet, and building global human capital through quality education, skills, and health. 

Hugh Evans, CEO of Global Citizen, said, “After next year we will have only ten short years to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The policies and progress that we make this year, and into 2020, will determine whether we successfully eradicate extreme poverty by 2030, and failure is not an option for the world's poor. We are thrilled to have such an iconic lineup of artists, hosts, and partners join us at such a pivotal moment for this fight as we ask governments and world leaders to take action and end extreme poverty.” 

Queen’s Brian May said, “Like Live Aid in 1985, we believe this concert will be a milestone.  It will generate practical solutions to address the world’s glaring anomalies. Global Citizen is an organisation which has already moved mountains. We hope this concert will be the beginning of a new era in which all creatures on Earth will eventually benefit. 

Queen’s Roger Taylor said, “We are honoured to to be a part of this Festival and to assist Global Citizen in their amazing quest to help the poorer peoples of our world by attempting to solve some of the most pressing problems of humanity.”

Adam Lambert said, “I’m so excited to be a part of this year’s Global Citizen Festival working towards one goal. Although there is still work to be done, I am blown away by this organization’s progress to end extreme poverty and can’t wait to celebrate how far we’ve come.” 

Pharrell Williams said, “I can’t wait to return to the Global Citizen Festival stage this year. From New York to South Africa, and everywhere in between, this movement is so inspiring. Everyone who attends the Festival is fighting for our future and to make the world a better place, and that is something that I am incredibly proud to be a part of.” 

Alicia Keys said, “So much progress has been made by Global Citizen towards ending extreme poverty since I last performed at the 2013 Festival. It was one of the most empowering experiences, and I cannot wait to give and feel all the amazing energy in Central Park again.”

OneRepublic said, “Over the past decade, we’ve set a precedent of what we can do to end extreme poverty and make life more livable for everyone. At this year’s Global Citizen Festival, it’s on us to make our voices heard even louder so the next decade can bring an end to global poverty.”

H.E.R. said, “I am thankful to become a Global Citizen and to join this incredible lineup of artists and activists. Together through music, we have the opportunity to uplift and enrich millions of people around the world who are living in extreme poverty.”

Carole King said, “I last performed in Central Park in 1973, and it’s an honor to return for such an important occasion as this year’s Global Citizen Festival. Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege to see the incredibly unifying power of music, and I look forward to taking the stage to bring thousands together in the fight against extreme poverty.”

French Montana said, “Being a Global Citizen Ambassador has exposed me to unforgettable experiences that have forever impacted my life. Seeing thousands of people in the crowd at this year’s Festival is a moment I’m looking forward to. Let’s continue to spark the minds of world leaders to make some changes on a bigger scale.”

Ben Platt said, "It's an absolute dream to be performing in Central Park at this year’s Global Citizen Festival among such esteemed artists. I’m excited to come together to celebrate the impact of thousands of Global Citizens who are fighting for equality and an end to extreme poverty.”

Jon Batiste said, “Right now we’re making great strides towards eradicating extreme poverty around the globe, but we must embrace the divinity of human connection in order to do more for the world. Music is a superpower that unites people from all walks of life and helps ignite a common purpose. When we come together like this we are unstoppable. I am proud to be a part of this year’s Global Citizen Festival.”

Deborra-lee Furness and Hugh Jackman said, “We are thrilled to be returning to the Great Lawn to host the Global Citizen Festival in September. Global Citizens have been campaigning for a better world for 10 years and this is a critical moment for the movement as we gear up for 2020, marking ten years for the world to eradicate extreme poverty.”

Jennifer Breithaupt, Global Consumer CMO, Citi, said, “As a global bank committed to enabling growth and progress around the world, Citi shares Global Citizen’s deep commitment to helping forge a more diverse, sustainable and inclusive future. Citi has partnered with Global Citizen Festival since its inception, and we’re proud to help power this meaningful movement once again as a returning Presenting Partner.”

Chuck Robbins, Chairman and CEO, Cisco, said, “Our work with Global Citizen to eradicate extreme poverty lays the foundation for building an inclusive future. By empowering Global Citizens with Cisco technology, we can accelerate how we help solve some of the world’s biggest challenges. We are proud to support this year’s Global Citizen Festival, along with many global leaders, in pursuit of our common goal to positively impact people around the world.” 

In 2019, Global Citizen’s campaigns are seeking to mobilize new commitments for the world’s most marginalized, including:

• Calling on some of the world’s largest economies, including Canada, Germany and Australia, to significantly increase their support - by at least 15 percent - to the Global Fund’s $14 billion fundraising drive to save 16 million lives and cut mortality rates from AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in half by 2023.
• Urging countries such as the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Argentina and Monaco, to make donations for the first time towards the Global Fund’s lifesaving efforts.
• Asking Norway and the UK to commit funds to support a last-mile push led by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative to stop polio for good and make it just the second human disease in history to be eradicated.
• Securing commitments from the governments of Ireland, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France to raise $250 million for the Education Cannot Wait fund’s 2019 replenishment, to ensure children can access education even in times of crisis.

•  Calling on the U.S. government to enact the Keeping Girls in School Act, which would address barriers that take adolescent girls out of school, such as lack of access to sanitary products and child marriage.
• Encouraging multinational companies like Ford and Ernst & Young to procure at least $100 million of their products and services from women-owned businesses, with at least half to be spent with women in developing countries.
• Calling on the governments of Denmark and Kenya to contribute towards the $350 million needed for UNFPA Supplies to provide family planning and critical health services to the world’s poorest women.

Global Citizens can earn their admission to the free, ticketed Festival by downloading the Global Citizen app. Learn more at globalcitizenfestival.com. Ticket draws will occur throughout the summer and fans will be notified by Global Citizen when they have been selected. 

Today’s announcement kicks off the first opportunity for fans and activists to earn their tickets to the Festival, which includes asking the governments of Canada, Australia, Norway, and Germany to replenish the Global Fund in order to raise $14 billion to drive to save 16 million lives and cut mortality rates from AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in half by 2023.

Live Nation returns for the fourth consecutive year as production partner. 

For the sixth consecutive year, MSNBC & Comcast NBCUniversal will air a live simulcast of the Festival on MSNBC. The Festival broadcast will be produced by Emmy Award-winning producer Ken Ehrlich (Grammy Awards). 

In 2019, iHeartMedia joins MSNBC and Comcast NBCUniversal as a presenting media partner and will again provide significant media support encouraging listeners to become Global Citizens as well as broadcast the Festival live from Central Park on more than 150 radio stations across the U.S. and on the iHeartRadio App. 

The Festival will also be livestreamed on YouTube and Twitter, presented by Johnson & Johnson. 

Proud partners of the 2019 Global Citizen Festival include Johnson & Johnson, P&G, and Verizon. 

Since the first Global Citizen Festival in New York in 2012, Global Citizen has grown into one of the largest, most visible platforms for people around the world calling on world leaders to honor their responsibilities in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and ending extreme poverty by 2030. Global Citizens have generated commitments and policy announcements from leaders valued at over $37.9 billion that are set to affect the lives of more than 2.25 billion people. 

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