Global Citizen Festival Sets September 2024 Date in Central Park

Global Citizen Festival will host its 12th annual free concert on September 28, 2024, the advocacy organization has announced. The event will be hosted at the Great Lawn in Central Park, which was recently restored to address damage sustained during last year‘s rainy festival.

“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,” Global Citizen CEO and co-founder Hugh Evans shared 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.”

According to the official Central Park Conservancy website, the Great Lawn was “substantially damaged” during Global Citizen Festival 2023. “The impact of heavy equipment and intense foot traffic in the saturated conditions damaged a large portion of the lawn and fully destroyed a third of it,” the statement regarding the area’s closing read. “Approximately three acres sustained such significant damage that seeding was not a viable solution, and sodding was necessary. Sod needs several months to establish itself before it can withstand the heavy athletic and recreational use the Great Lawn typically receives.”

The Great Lawn will re-open for general use on April 6. In the months leading up to Global Citizen Festival 2024, the organizers will unveil this year’s lineup of performers. Last year saw performances from Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Jung Kook, Anitta, Conan Gray, D-Nice, and Sofia Carson.

“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,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue. “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.”