Music icons from around the world will host two side events today to mark this year’s Global Citizen Festival in the United States and Africa.
In the United States, the event will take place in New York’s Central Park, while in Africa, Black Star Square in Accra, Ghana will host.
The Global Citizen Festival began as a music festival where fans take action to end extreme poverty.
The inaugural event took place on September 29, 2012, with 60,000 people in attendance on the Great Lawn in New York’s Central Park.
Since then, artists like Rihanna, Beyoncé, JAY-Z, Pearl Jam, Stevie Wonder, Coldplay and Billie Eilish have performed on the Global Citizen Festival stage.
The concert is timed to coincide with the United Nations General Assembly to leverage opportunities to secure political and financial commitments from government, business and philanthropic leaders. Some of the biggest names in music past and present include Mariah Carey, NY, Metallica, Charlie Puth, Jonas Brothers, Maneskin, Mickey Guyton and Rosalia.
They will parade the A-list of the New York show as American R&B legend Usher joins Africa’s top Gyakie, Sarkodie, Stonebwoy, Stormzy, Tems and Uncle Waffles in Ghana. Today’s event will start at 3pm East Africa Time.
dark continent
The Global Citizen Festival, whose full impact was felt in Africa in 2018 when Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium was host, is moving to Ghana, with huge representation from across the dark continent, including participants from Kenya.
Five Kenyans have been part of a globally selected BeyGood Scholarship Task Force, Class of 2023 which will intersect with this year’s theme around ending poverty.
Arthur Kamau, Charity Kithaka, Diana Cheronoa, Kamuel Oure and Sherly Kambuni will join the team of 15 people chosen from across the continent for the one-year fellowship.
This year’s festival, which brings together artists and world leaders, aims to empower girls and women, care for the planet and call for an end to extreme poverty.
