Chris Martin, who is the creative director for the Global Citizen Festival, promised the event would bring out music’s biggest stars. The Coldplay frontman made good on his promise, and it was revealed today that Beyoncé, Pearl Jam, and Ed Sheeran will headline New York’s Global Citizen Festival. The event will be held on September 26th on the Great Lawn in Central Park. Coldplay will also headline the concert in New York. Free tickets for the festival are available now on the Global Citizen Festival website.
CEO of the Global Poverty Project, Hugh Evans, stated that Martin has taken his role as the creative director very seriously. “He [Chris Martin] reached out Ed Sheeran first, who said yes immediately, and around the same time he asked Beyoncé to get involved. Beyoncé was obviously onstage with Jay Z last year when he headlined and had a great experience. We spoke to her management about doing something even bigger together,” Evans said. Beyoncé has partnered her company Chime For Change with the Global Poverty Project. Chime For Change is a gender-equality campaign Beyoncé co-founded along with actress Salma Hayek Pinault and Gucci. “I am honored to be a part of the Global Citizen Festival. It has always stood for improving the lives of people everywhere, but this year is especially rewarding as we all join focuses and utilize our talents for one goal- to end extreme poverty globally,” the pop singer explained.
This is not the first time Pearl Jam has performed at the Global Citizen Festival, and their manager has been an adviser of the festival for three years. “We hope Pearl Jam fans will sign up to become Global Citizens- not just to earn tickets to the show, but to be a part of a movement. The movement encourages leaders of nations with the greatest wealth to apply aid, trade and governance policies in support of nations and communities in the greatest need,” manager Kelly Curtis stated. Curtis added,”People living on less than $1.50 a day deserve the opportunity to lift themselves up out of extreme poverty.” The Global Poverty Project’s goal is to end poverty is 15 years, the music festival is part of the project’s sustainable goals.