Central Park’s annual Global Citizen Festival is giving music fans a very big incentive to get philanthropic before this September 24. Rihanna and Kendrick Lamar will headline the charitable event’s fifth incarnation, aided by Major Lazer, Metallica, and Selena Gomez. Hopefully the abundance of rare Pokémon hanging out around the park’s Great Lawn wait until after Badgal’s set to make an appearance.
This year’s festival will also feature a handful of guest artists including Eddie Vedder, Usher, Ellie Goulding, Yandel, Cat Stevens, and Chris Martin. The Coldplay frontman is Global Citizen’s current curator, a position he will hold for the next 15 years — until the festival’s goal of aiding the United Nations’ 15-year plan to end extreme poverty is hopefully achieved. Along with the musical talent, Martin has also tapped a few of his famous friends for host duties, including Chelsea Handler, Deborra-Lee and Hugh Jackman, Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra, Salma Hayek Pinault, and Seth Meyers. Organizers expect this year’s event to draw a crowd comparable to the 60,000-strong one that swarmed the Great Lawn last year to see Beyoncé.
Gucci’s Chime for Change campaign, which aims to empower young women by promoting gender equality, has again signed on as a partner for the 2016 event. “If we don’t ultimately empower girls, making sure they have access to quality education, or tackle discriminatory laws like forced marriage or honor killings, we’re never going to end extreme poverty,” said Hugh Evans, chief executive of Global Citizen to the [New York Times](http://If we don’t ultimately empower girls, making sure they have access to quality education, or tackle discriminatory laws like forced marriage or honor killings, we’re ).
In keeping with the charitable theme, tickets to Global Citizen must be earned, not bought. Checking out the ways you can do this on the festival website and start flexing your philanthropic muscles early.
Credits
Text Hannah Ongley
Photography Paolo Roversi
Fashion Director Alastair McKimm