On Saturday September 27th, myself and 60,000 other people from across the globe gathered on the Great Lawn in NYC’s Central Park on one mission, to be a better global citizen. Hand in hand with some of the biggest celebrities and musical guests from a range of generations, all 60,000 called upon our officials to raise awareness of the some of the biggest human rights issues in our world. Ending extreme poverty, gender equality, and education for girls worldwide, all by the year 2030, were just a few of the 17 main goals set forth by the Global Citizen Festival.
Hosted by Hugh Jackman and Steven Colbert, the festival featured four headlining musical artists and a ton of special guests, along with celebrity activists and politicians from all corners of the world. And while the eight-hour event was jam-packed with some of the most influential people in our world, there was such a humble connection throughout the entire event because we all knew we were there for the same reason: to be global citizens.
Musically, the show was an amazing and eclectic mix of artists, each performing for a reason. Coldplay was the first band to preform and although their set lasted only about 35 minutes, Chris Martin and the rest of the band were the best way to kick off the event and get the audience excited. Ariana Grande surprised the crowd and sang a duet with Martin. After Coldplay, Ed Sheeran rocked the stage with his always astounding one man show. Although I have seen him perform live before, I am always impressed with his talent of not only singing, but playing guitar and looping all his vocals and rhythms with a simple two microphone, three floor-petal set up. Sheeran brought Martin back on stage to duet “Thinking Out Loud.” Shots of Jay Z panned across the screen set up while Sheeran performed, which sent loud applause through the crowd, confirming that Queen B herself was in the house.
I honestly have no words to describe Beyonce’s set except for absolutely amazing. I have seen her concert tours before as well, but this was like no other. Whether or not you are a Beyonce fan (and let’s face it, is anyone not??!) you cannot deny that this woman puts 200% into every time she steps on stage. Beyonce focused her set around songs that exhibited her fight for women empowerment and equality. Songs like "Who Run the World? (Girls)," "Flawless," "Feeling Myself," "Diva," "Survivor" and "Ring the Alarm" were just a few she sang to promote feminism, while also performing crowd favorites like "Halo," "XO," and of course "Single Ladies"!
But what happened next no one was ready for; after Beyonce’s last song, she welcomed Michelle Obama to the stage. The crowd erupted. Hearing our first lady speak is something I will never forget, and I was very inspired and flattered that she showed up for the event. She announced a new campaign, #62milliongirls, that will be used to spread awareness for global education for women and girls alike.
Finally, Pearl Jam finished the show, coming onstage and rocking out (with a bottle in hand, of course). I must admit it was hard to follow Beyonce’s powerhouse set, but Pearl Jam attracted a different demographic and overall, the musical performances were fun for all 60,000 people.
Besides just the musical superstars, we heard from celebrities such as Bono, Leonardo DiCaprio, Joe Biden, Bill and Melinda Gates, Usher, Sophia Bush, Katie Holmes, Salma Hayek, and many more. We heard from Prime Ministers, politicians, activists, and CEOs, but my favorite speech of the whole night came from Malala Yousafzai. From Pakisatan, Yousafzai has been actively fighting for education for women worldwide. Along with four other women from countries such as Syria, Pakistan, and Ghana, Yousafzai delivered an empowering and tear-jerking speech, calling on us to raise awareness and push for our elected officials to take action, so that no girl goes uneducated. Even though it was a warm fall night, I had chills as she spoke. Although the event was extravagant and the celebrities were huge, it reminded me why I was there. I am so privileged to have grown up in the country, generation, demographic, and family that I have to become the educated woman that I am today. But I take that for granted, as there are so many girls and women worldwide who will never be granted the right to an education. Events like the Global Citizen Festival take action, and change the lives of those worldwide. It’s so much bigger than all of us, bigger than seeing the First Lady, and bigger than seeing a Beyonce show, and bigger than 60,000 people coming together; these are global issues and we are global citizens!
Learn more about the Global Citizen Festival at: https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/.
