Global Citizen plans Paris event with Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish, Lenny Kravitz, H.E.R. and Jon Batiste are among the artists set to perform at Global Citizen’s upcoming event in Paris.
The event, dubbed Power Our Planet: Live in Paris, will stream live from Paris’ Champ de Mars on 22 June in a bid to raise awareness about world poverty and climate change.
The free Live Nation-produced event will be held before a ticketed audience and streamed from in front of the Eiffel Tower on the Global Citizen channel on Amazon’s Twitch, with further broadcast or streaming partners to be announced in the coming weeks. Ben Harper, Finneas and Mosimann will provide additional special performances.
The location of the event was chosen to coincide with The Summit for a New Financial Pact, which is being held in Paris between 22-23 June.
Global Citizen hopes that the concert will help compel World Bank President Ajay Banga, the US government’s Janet Yellen and all the G20 Nations to take action on loosening up funds for less developed nations to deal with climate change.
“The only way we’re gonna make this summit count is to bring the whole world to focus its attention on it”
“How will we do that through a concert?” Global Citizen CEO and co-founder Hugh Evans told Variety. “Well, when President Macron and Mia Mottley asked Global Citizen to be part of this, they were really candid. They said there are conferences every day of the week. There are summits every day of the week. People don’t know about 90% of them. They might see a photo of the G8 meeting, and it looks nice, but these summits come and go all the time.
“The only way we’re gonna make this summit count in this critical year that counts for climate change is to bring the whole world to focus its attention on it. That’s why we’re thrilled that Billie Eilish, Lenny Kravitz, H.E.R., Jon Batiste, Ben Harper and so many incredible artists are volunteering their time to be part of this, because we need the US public to engage with this — so that the US Treasury engages with this, so that they actually reform the World Bank.”
Power Our Planet is a year-long campaign aiming to give vulnerable countries a better financial foundation and access to financing solutions to invest in the transition to clean energy and withstanding natural disasters.
“Together with Global Citizens and global artists, we are calling on world leaders, multilateral development banks, philanthropists, and private sector leaders to deliver critical funding and reimagine our financial systems to meet the moment, defend the planet, and make sure that no matter where you live, everyone is protected from the worst impacts of climate change and inequality,” reads a mission statement from Global Citizen.
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Global Citizen Festival to be held in US and Ghana
International advocacy organisation Global Citizen has announced details of the 10th anniversary Global Citizen Festival.
The event will take place across two stages in New York City’s Central Park in the US and Black Star Square in Accra, Ghana on Saturday 24 September.
Performers on the Central Park stage will include Metallica, Charlie Puth, Jonas Brothers, Maneskin, Mariah Carey, Mickey Guyton and Rosalía, while Accra’s Black Star Square will see live performances from acts such as Usher, SZA, Stormzy, Gyakie, H.E.R., Sarkodie, Stonebwoy and TEMS.
“Decades of systemic and political failures have led humanity into the midst of converging and rapidly deteriorating crises – climate, hunger, health, war and conflict,” says Global Citizen co-founder and CEO Hugh Evans. “The most marginalised populations are paying the price of the stagnant inaction of our leaders, and now millions of lives, and the future of our planet, are at stake.
“We demand action now, while there’s still time to change our collective trajectory”
“We refuse to just stand by and watch! We refuse to accept the starvation of multitudes when solutions are readily at hand. We demand a secure future for girls everywhere. We demand governments keep their promises on climate funding. We demand relief from debts unjustly crushing economies. And we demand action now, while there’s still time to change our collective trajectory.”
First held in 2012, the Global Citizen Festival is the world’s longest-running global campaign calling for an end to extreme poverty.
The event will be broadcast and streamed on ABC, ABC News Live, FX, Hulu, iHeartRadio, TimesLIVE, Twitter and YouTube, among others.
Tickets to the festivals are free and can be earned by downloading the Global Citizen app or visiting www.globalcitizen.org to take action on the campaign’s issues. For each action taken, users earn points that can be redeemed for tickets to the festivals.
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Global Citizen returns with Paris, NY, Nigeria shows
Global Citizen Live has announced the line-ups for the upcoming benefit concerts in New York, Paris and Lagos, Nigeria, which will raise funds to combat poverty and provide greater access to Covid-19 vaccines.
The three concerts will take place on 25 September, alongside simultaneous events in London, Rio de Janeiro, Seoul, Los Angeles, Sydney and more cities still to be announced. The Global Citizen Live events, which will be broadcast live around the world, are part of of Global Citizen’s ‘Recovery Plan for the World’, a year-long campaign which calls on governments, philanthropists and the private sector to commit financially to the global recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
Global Citizen Live follows previous Global Citizen events including Global Goal: Unite for Our Future, which took place last summer and raised funds for vaccine development, and 2021’s Vax Live, which focused on securing equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines.
In New York, Coldplay, Billie Eilish, Camila Cabello, Jennifer Lopez, Lizzo, Meek Mill, Shawn Mendes, Alessia Cara, Burna Boy, Cyndi Lauper, Jon Batiste and Lang Lang will perform on the Great Lawn in Central Park, while the Paris event, held on the Champ de Mars, will feature Ed Sheeran, Doja Cat, DJ Snake, HER, Black Eyed Peas, Christine and the Queens and Angélique Kidjo. The Lagos concert (venue TBC) will include performances from Femi Kuti, Davido, Tiwa Savage and Made Kuti.
Coinciding with the UN general assembly preceding the G20 meeting (October) and Cop26 summit (November), Global Citizen Live focus will call on leaders to fund:
- A billion trees planted and preserved to help prevent global temperatures from rising beyond 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels, by curbing emissions and supporting 1t.org;
- A billion vaccines delivered to the poorest countries
- Meals for the 41 million people on the brink of famine
“This remains a global crisis … It will only end with global equitable access to vaccines”
Katie Hill, senior vice-president and head of music, entertainment and artist relations for Global Citizen, says: “Over the last year and a half, we’ve seen music bring communities together and inspire action during one of the most challenging times of our generation. We’re excited to join these incredible artists to unite people across the globe on 25 September as we hold world leaders and business leaders accountable to rectify the damage caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. As we carefully resume Global Citizen’s live events, we couldn’t be more grateful to each of these artists for donating their time and performances to make an impact through this urgent campaign.”
David Beasley, executive director of the UN World Food Programme, adds: “Global Citizen’s support is critical as we all work together to reach the most vulnerable people and communities. We’re facing an unprecedented crisis in 2021: 41 million people have famine literally knocking at the door. The price tag to stop their suffering is about US$6 billion. We need funding and we need it now.”
“As wealthy countries are well on their way to reopening and returning to normal life, we now face a two-track pandemic of haves and have-nots,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization, comments. “Over 75% of the more than 4bn doses administered to date have occurred in just ten countries, while only 1% of people in low-income countries have received a dose. We cannot disregard this gross inequity or become complacent.
“This remains a global crisis, with emerging variants emanating from under-vaccinated parts of the world continuing to threaten everyone’s lives and livelihoods. It will only end with global equitable access to vaccines and other life-saving medical supplies. That’s why I am pleased to support Global Citizen Live and join Global Citizen in their calls to public and private leaders to share the doses, financing, knowledge, technology and political solidarity needed to end this pandemic.”
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Vax Live concert adds Duke and Duchess of Sussex
Global Citizen has announced Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as the campaign leads for 2 May’s Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World, featuring Jennifer Lopez, Foo Fighters and more.
The concert, which aims to raise from governments US$19 billion for the WHO’s vaccine-sharing programme, the Access to Covid-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A), will feature the British royals delivering an “important global message for vaccine equity”, according to organisers.
Other high-profile guests confirmed to appear at the event, which be streamed on 8 May via YouTube, as well as a number of US broadcasters, include US president Joe Biden, French president Emmanuel Macron, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, actors Ben Affleck and Sean Penn and recording artist Selena Gomez, who will host the show.
In addition to Lopez and Foo Fighters, the show will include performances from J Balvin, Eddie Vedder and HER.
“ We will all benefit, we will all be safer, when everyone everywhere has equal access to the vaccine,” say the Duke and Duchess in a joint statement. “We must pursue equitable vaccine distribution, and in that, restore faith in our common humanity. This mission couldn’t be more critical or important.”
“We are truly grateful for the time, effort and energy that everyone has given to make Vax Live a reality”
According to Global Citizen, whose Unite for Our Future concert last summer raised nearly $7bn to help fund vaccine research, a further $19bn is the figure needed to provide 1.8bn doses of Covid-19 vaccines to the developing world by the end of 2021. Over $11bn has already been pledged by the Coca-Cola Foundation, Cisco, the Analog Devices Foundation and an unnamed Swiss foundation.
Taking place at Los Angeles’ Sofi Stadium on 2 May, the concert will be pre-taped and air on 8 May. It is executive produced by Global Citizen, Live Nation, YouTube Originals, iHeart Media, the Ad Council and Covid Collaborative and Teneo.
“We are truly grateful for the time, effort and energy that everyone has given to make Vax Live a reality within just a few months,” says Katie Hill, head of music, entertainment and artist relations for Global Citizen. “We’re thrilled to be hosting Global Citizen’s first live event since the pandemic began alongside these incredible artists, entertainers and individuals who are donating their time to support our mission to achieve vaccine equity and build vaccine confidence globally.
“I’m moved by the enthusiasm of every Vax Live participant to play a role in ending the Covid-19 pandemic as we all work together to come back, safely.”
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Global Citizen concert raises $6.9bn to tackle Covid-19
International advocacy platform Global Citizen has raised almost US$7 billion in pledges from governments, corporations and philanthropists following its Global Goal live music event and summit.
Global Goal: Unite For Our Future was broadcast on Saturday (27 June), with performances from Miley Cyrus, who covered the Beatles’ ‘Help!’ in an empty Rose Bowl Stadium; Jennifer Hudson, who sang ‘Where Peaceful Waters Flow’ from a boat on the Chicago River; and Coldplay, who dedicated their performance of ‘Paradise’ to Elijah McClain, a young black man who died in police custody in Denver last year.
Justin Bieber, Shakira, Usher, Christine and the Queens, Chloe x Halle and J Balvin were among others to perform in the virtual concert, which was produced by entertainment giants including Live Nation, Scooter Braun and SB Projects, Roc Nation, Universal Music Group, Maverick and Hamish Hamilton’s Done+Dusted.
The summit and concert aired in over 180 countries and was streamed global on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. The event raised $1.5bn in cash grants and $5.4bn in loans from the European Investment Bank in partnership with Global Goal co-organiser the European Commission.
“The $6.9bn that was pledged today to support the world’s poorest and most marginalised communities is an incredible next step on our journey out of the Covid-19 era”
The money is to be used to fund research for Covid-19 tests, treatments and vaccines and to ensure fair access to medical help for all, in a bid to combat the disproportionate impact of the disease on marginalised and disadvantaged communities, as part of the World Health Organisation’s Access to Covid-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator plan.
The event came as the follow-up to Global Citizen’s One World: Together at Home concert, which generated almost US$128 million for the World Health Organisation’s Covid-19 solidarity response fund in April.
“Global Goal: Unite for Our Future was launched in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and we are proud to join the European Commission, and over 40 governments from around the world, to ensure Covid-19 tests, treatments and vaccines would be made available for everyone, everywhere,” says Global Citizen CEO, Hugh Evans.
“The $6.9bn that was pledged today to support the world’s poorest and most marginalised communities is an incredible next step on our journey out of the Covid-19 era, but there is more still to be done as no one is safe until everyone is safe.”
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Global Citizen prepares for One World follow-up event
International advocacy platform Global Citizen has announced the full line-up for the upcoming Global Goal: Unite for our Future charity event, a follow-up from its record-breaking One World: Together at Home concert.
Together with the European Commission, Global Citizen states it is organising the virtual summit and concert to highlight “the disproportionate impact” that Covid-19 has on marginalised communities, including people of color, those living in extreme poverty and other discriminated communities.
The concert, which airs on 27 June on television and digital channels, will feature performances from Miley Cyrus, Coldplay, Justin Bieber, Christine and the Queens, Usher, J Balvin, Shakira and Jennifer Hudson, among others.
The event is the second organised by Global Citizen to raise funds to help those affected by Covid-19. One World: Together at Home, put on in conjunction with Lady Gaga, set a new record for the most money raised by a remote music festival, generating almost US$128 million for the World Health Organisation’s Covid-19 solidarity response fund.
“If we are to end Covid-19 for all, we need our world leaders to commit the billions of dollars needed to equitably deliver testing, treatments, and vaccines”
“Global Citizens around the world are calling for systemic change, change that brings about justice for everyone, everywhere, regardless of where they were born or the colour of their skin,” comments Hugh Evans, co-founder and CEO of Global Citizen.
“If we are to end Covid-19 for all, we need our world leaders to commit the billions of dollars needed to equitably deliver testing, treatments, and vaccines.”
Evans adds that Global Goal aims to “bring the centuries-old concept of music as a motivator for change and unity, together with science and data, to honour the problem solvers who are racing to not only create the cure for Covid-19, but also to ensure that it’s available for everyone who needs it.”
The concert will be available to watch in over 30 countries around the world, broadcast on channels including ARD, Canal+ Group and RTVE in Europe; Bell Media, CBC, Citytv, and Global TV in Canada; NBC and iHeartMedia in the US; Grupo Globo in Brazil; MultiChoice Group and SABC in Africa; Fuji TV and Star India in Asia; and Channel Nine in Australia.
It will also be streamed on global platforms including Apple, Brut, Roku, Insight TV, TIDAL, Twitch, Twitter, Yahoo!, and YouTube. Additional broadcasters include BARÇA TV, Bloomberg Television, Fundación Azteca, Mediacorp, MSNBC, MTV International, SiriusXM, Sony Channel Latin America, and Turner Latin America. Viewers are advised to check local listings for start times.
Photo: © Raph_PH on Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
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Live music community rallies for Covid-19 relief
High-profile acts from around the world are taking part in a number of upcoming virtual events to raise money and awareness for Covid-19 relief funds, as the live music community continues to pull its weight in the fight against the disease.
Virtual benefit events have been a feature of lockdown from the very beginning, with the Lady Gaga-curated, Global Citizen-organised One World: Together at Home an early pioneer of the space. The mammoth livestreamed benefit event raised almost US$128 million for the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Covid-19 solidarity response fund, setting a new a record for the most money generated by a remote music festival.
Now Global Citizen is teaming up with the European Commission for Global Goal: Unite for our Future, a campaign seeking to raise funds for the development and distribution of Covid-19 testing, treatments and vaccines.
On 27 June, high-profile artists including Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Shakira, Coldplay and J Balvin will join philanthropists and world leaders in an international pledging summit to call on governments to commit to the funding needed to ensure fair access to Covid-19 treatment.
Music industry giants including Live Nation, Scooter Braun and SB Projects, Adam Leber (Maverick), Jay Brown (Roc Nation) and Michele Anthony (Universal Music Group) are involved in producing the event.
Exclusive experiences, including a virtual happy hour with Adam Lambert and virtual concerts from Chloe X Halle and Fher Olvera, lead singer of Mexican rock band Maná, also form part of the campaign.
Global Citizen is teaming up with the European Commission for Global Goal: Unite for our Future
Independent LA-based electronic music companies Brownies & Lemonade and Proximity yesterday (28 May) announced the second edition of their Digital Mirage festival, set to take place from 5 to 7 June.
The first outing of the event, which saw performances from Alsion Wonderland, Tokimonsta and Sofi Tukker, raised over $300,000 for the Sweet Musicians Relief Fund. Digital Mirage 2 will feature acts including A Trak, Baauer, Boys Noize and Hot Chip, with all proceeds going to Plus1’s fund for Covid-19 relief.
Fans can register for the event here.
Eschewing the virtual world for the real thing, French DJ David Guetta is set to make his second rooftop performance in New York on Saturday, following on from a similarly distanced performance in Miami last month. The Miami show raised $750,000 for Feeding South Florida, Feeding America, World Health Organisation and Fondation Hôpitaux de Paris.
The New York concert will raise money for the Mayor’s fund to advance New York city, as well as the international organisations that benefited from Guetta’s first show.
Elsewhere in the US, acts including Pearl Jam, Macklemore and Dave Matthews are participating in the virtual All in WA event on 10 June to raise money for Covid-19 relief efforts across Washington state. The concert, which will air on the local NBC affiliates, can be streamed on Amazon’s Twitch channel, and will be available on Amazon Prime after it airs.
Photo: Photo © Raph_PH on Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
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One World: Together at Home raises $127m for Covid-19 relief
One World: Together at Home, the Global Citizen-organised, Lady Gaga-curated livestreamed benefit concert, generated US$127 million worth of funding commitments for the World Health Organization (WHO)’s Covid-19 solidarity response fund, organisers have announced.
The eight-hour event, first announced earlier this month, comprised a six-hour digital stream followed by a two-hour broadcast TV special. In total, Together at Home was seen by billions of people in over 175 countries, according to Global Citizen.
The two-hour television special – broadcast on Saturday 18 April in North America and Sunday 19 April in the UK and Europe – featured performances by Sir Elton John, Taylor Swift, the Rolling Stones, Eddie Vedder, Billie Eilish, Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé, Sir Paul McCartney, Lizzo and Jennifer Lopez, while non-music guests included Matthew McConaughey, Idris Elba, David Beckham, Oprah Winfrey and former US first ladies Laura Bush and Michelle Obama.
Notable corporate donorsinclude the Coca-Cola Company, Vodafone, Citi, IBM, PepsiCo, Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble
The digital stream, meanwhile, included Christine and the Queens, Michael Bublé, the Killers, John Legend, Jess Flynne, Annie Lennox and Rita Ora, among others.
Notable corporate donors who backed the event include the Coca-Cola Company, Vodafone, Citi, IBM, PepsiCo, Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble, with One World also winning support from notable philanthropists, as well as private donors.
Donations to the fund will support WHO’s work around the world, as well as the vaccine development alliance Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef).
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More high-profile acts join Lady Gaga-curated benefit gig
A host of new artists have joined the line-up for One World: Together at Home, a livestreamed benefit concert co-curated by Lady Gaga in celebration of health workers and in support of the World Health Organisation’s Covid-19 solidarity response fund.
Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lopez, Christine and the Queens, the Killers, Sam Smith, Alicia Keys, Usher and Celine Dion join previously announced acts Stevie Wonder, Billie Eilish, Elton John, Lizzo, John Legend, Paul McCartney, J Balvin and many more for the mega charity concert, which is taking place on Saturday 18 April from 8 p.m. (EDT).
First announcing the event last week, Gaga revealed she had helped to raise $35 million for the WHO fund, which is dedicated to funding protective equipment for health workers and efforts to find a Covid-19 vaccine.
On Monday, the singer called on world leaders including Canada’s Justin Trudeau, France’s Emmanuel Macron and EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to contribute funds to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (Cepi) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, organisations seeking to find a vaccine for the Covid-19 coronavirus.
As part as the One World: Together at Home initiative, Global Citizen, the social action platform that has partnered with the WHO to produce the event, is calling on individuals, philanthropists, investors and business to support global health efforts.
“We are incredibly grateful for the continued support from the artist community to make One World: Together At Home a moment of global unity”
“We are grateful to the private sector who have listened to the public’s call for action and come together to support the global response to Covid-19,” says Hugh Evans, co-founder and CEO of Global Citizen. “This pandemic is too large for governments to tackle alone.
“We are also incredibly grateful for the continued support from the artist community to make One World: Together At Home a moment of global unity,” continues Evans. “Our hope for the special is that everyone will come away believing that we, as a shared humanity, can emerge from this moment forever grateful for the work of doctors, nurses, teachers, grocery store workers, and all those who are the backbone of our communities.”
One World: Together at Home, which will be hosted by US talk show hosts Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert, will be broadcast live across US television networks ABC, CBS and NBC, as well as being streamed online.
Internationally, the UK’s BBC One will show an adapted version of the concert the following day from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. (BST), including exclusive performances from UK artists and interviews with frontline health workers. Additional international broadcasters include AXS TV, beIN Media Group, IMDb, MultiChoice Group, and RTE.
There will also be a globally curated digital show beginning at 2 p.m. EDT/6 p.m. GMT. Streaming partners include Alibaba, Amazon Prime Video, Apple, Facebook, Instagram, LiveXLive, Tencent, Tencent Music Entertainment Group, TIDAL, TuneIn, Twitch, Twitter, Yahoo, and YouTube.
Photo: proacguy1/Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0) (cropped)
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Billie Eilish fans to ‘earn’ tickets via good actions
Billie Eilish has teamed up with civic engagement platform Global Citizen, encouraging fans to do their bit to create a more sustainable world.
Via the Global Citizen website, fans can enter for a chance to win free tickets to the sold-out North American leg of Eilish’s Where Do We Go world tour.
Once entered, fans can continue to the Global Citizen portal and pledge to take action on a range of issues related to health; education; girls and women; finance and innovation; food and hunger; water and sanitation; environment; and citizenship.
In order to enter for tickets to more than one show on the 23-date run, fans must earn ten points, achieved by ‘taking action’ through the organisation’s rewards platform.
“I did not want you guys to have to buy tickets from scalpers, and I know you all still really want to come to the shows, so I teamed up with a great organisation called Global Citizen to help come up with a way to earn tickets,” the singer explained in a Twitter post. “We can tackle these challenges and create a more sustainable world.”
“We can tackle these challenges and create a more sustainable world”
The Where Do We Go tour sees Eilish play arenas in Mexico, the USA, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Portugal, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and the UK. The tour concludes in July, with four dates at London’s 20,000-cap. O2 Arena.
Eilish has also joined forces with non-profit Reverb to make her upcoming tour “as green as possible”. Plastic straws will be banned, fans encouraged to bring their own water bottles and recycling bins available at every show.
A ‘Billie Eilish Eco-Village’ will be present at every venue on the tour, an area where fans can learn about climate change and how to make a positive difference.
The singer will perform alongside Alicia Keys, Coldplay, Metallica, Red Hit Chili Peppers, Miley Cyrus and Shawn Mendes at the 2020 edition of the Global Citizen music festival, which takes place on 26 September in New York, Lagos and cities in Asia, Europe and Latin America.
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