NEW YORK — On September 27, internationally acclaimed artists and celebrities will come together once again for the annual Global Citizen Festival, using their music to help combat global poverty on the Great Lawn in New York’s Central Park. Jay-Z surprised America by signing on to headline the event, along with superstars Carrie Underwood and No Doubt.
The Global Poverty Project is an organization which was formed in 2008 to promote awareness and encourage action to end extreme poverty worldwide. The organization puts on this music festival annually in conjunction with the timing on the meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in order to catch the attention of leaders from around the globe.
The previous two years of the festival allocated $1.3 billion in new funding along with 35 commitments from world leaders to combat world poverty.
Proponents of the festival and the organization are happy to welcome Jay-Z to the concert in the fall, as he is currently one of the biggest names in the music industry today. Jay-Z tends to be known for his “flashy” attire and personality. However, the rapper insists he is adamant about giving back as much as he can. On joining the festival, Jay-Z noted, “I’m joining the 2014 Global Citizen Festival because I believe through… raising awareness, getting involved, [and]educating ourselves, the goal to end extreme poverty by 2030 is possible.”
Jay-Z will not be the only international superstar gracing the stage this fall. He will be joined by country sensation Carrie Underwood, the infamous No Doubt, fun. and dance music artist Tiësto. Global Poverty Project co-founder Hugh Evans stressed that this diverse group of participants “expresses that Global Citizen is a broad-based, non-partisan movement that crosses cultures and genders.”
Although this proves to be an impressive lineup, it will not be the first time this concert brought in international fame. The 2013 concert included the likes of John Mayer, legend Stevie Wonder and the acclaimed Elvis Costello. The first festival in 2012 included Foo Fighters, the infamous Neil Young and rock sensation The Black Keys. The 2014 lineup is only continuing a tradition of very well established artists and celebrities using their talent and influence to play their part in raising funds and awareness with the Global Poverty Project.
Tickets for the event are free, but must be earned on Global Poverty Project’s website through acts meant to help end extreme poverty. This has been the organization’s way of encouraging action and participation without drawing away attendance to the event and involvement in the organization itself. VIP tickets, however, are available for sale on Ticketmaster.
An equally exciting advancement this year is the festival’s partnership with NBC and MSNBC. The networks are planning to air the festival live in order to broadcast it to an even larger worldwide audience.
The festival continues to gain international recognition and continued success. Co-founder Evans is confident that this festival will prove to be more successful than the previous two. He exclaimed, “We’ve grown every year. It doesn’t get any easier, but the event does get bigger and bigger.”
– Cambria Arvizo
Sources: Rolling Stone, The Boston Globe, CBS News
Photo: Urban Islandz