Global Citizen Festival to Return to Central Park in 2024
Global Citizen announced Monday (April 1) that its annual festival will return to Central Park in 2024, with the nonprofit planning to unveil this year’s lineup in the coming months.
The confirmation comes about six months after last year’s concert, which — due to heavy rain on the day of the event — caused severe damages to the New York City park’s Great Lawn. The Central Park Conservancy reported in September that portions of the Great Lawn had been damaged due to stage equipment and high foot traffic on the grass throughout the downpour, forcing the park to close the area for annual renovations six weeks earlier than scheduled.
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The damages required restorations; however, the Global Citizen Board of Directors “paid for all repairs that were requested,” according to a new release, which noted that the Great Lawn is scheduled to reopen April 6.
At press time, Central Park’s website displays a banner reading, “The Great Lawn is currently closed … the Conservancy is seeding, aerating, and sodding portions of the lawn to repair significant damage.”
This year’s Global Citizen Festival will take place on Saturday, Sept. 28. More details, including lineup billings, will be announced later this year. As in years past, attendance will be free, but entry must be earned by “taking action towards ending extreme poverty.”
Last year’s festival saw Jung Kook, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Anitta, Megan Thee Stallion and more headliners taking a stage made entirely out of repurposed and recycled materials. The 2023 iteration also featured an all-vegetarian menu served with fully compostable packaging and utensils and more eco-friendly initiatives.
“Our public green spaces are where New Yorkers gather for connection, celebration, and release, and that proud tradition continues as we welcome Global Citizen Festival back to Central Park this September,” said NYC Parks commissioner Sue Donoghue. “Central Park’s iconic Great Lawn has a long and celebrated history of hosting live events that thrill New Yorkers and visitors alike, from Simon & Garfunkel to the NY Philharmonic. The Global Citizen Festival is more than just a good time for music lovers – it’s a call to action, inspiring us to be active citizens of the world in the fight against poverty, inequity, and climate change. I look forward to joining thousands of New Yorkers and visitors out on the Great Lawn for this celebration of music and activism.”
“Since 2012, the Global Citizen Festival has called Central Park its home, thanks to the long-standing partnership with NYC Parks and the City of New York,” said Hugh Evans, Global Citizen co-founder and CEO, in a statement. “Annually, we have welcomed 60,000 global citizens to the Great Lawn, who have played a crucial role in our mission, and we look forward to coming back again on September 28 to drive more action and commitments towards ending extreme poverty.”
“As New Yorkers we are all citizens of the globe. And few moments are as exhilarating and rewarding as the end of UNGA Week each September when our partners at Global Citizen come to Central Park and welcome New Yorkers from all five boroughs to an event that raises much needed resources for those struggling for basic necessities around the world,” said New York City councilmember Erik Bottcher. “I’m excited that with Global Citizen’s support, the Parks Department and the Central Park Conservancy will open a restored Great Lawn this week so that an NYC gem is ready for spring – and a season’s worth of inclusive cultural, philanthropic and recreational events that help make New York the great city that it is.”
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