Global Citizen Festival in Central Park Canceled Ahead of Weekend Nor'easter

# What happened Global Citizen announced the cancellation of its annual festival scheduled for Saturday, September 26 on the Great Lawn in Central Park. The decision came on Friday after forecasts for the Northeast predicted extreme weather that organizers say would produce dangerous conditions for attendees, artists, crew, vendors, partners, staff, and equipment.

# Who was involved The event was to be hosted by Hugh Jackman and feature a lineup including Alicia Keys, Yeonjun, Ms. Lauryn Hill & Wyclef Jean, Lenny Kravitz, John Legend, Lainey Wilson, Shaboozey, and TOMORROW X TOGETHER. Global Citizen made the cancellation in consultation with the City of New York and NYC Parks.

# Why the festival was canceled Organizers cited forecasts that indicated conditions in which it would not be safe to bring tens of thousands of people and all required equipment onto the Great Lawn. They said they explored multiple contingencies over the week but ultimately determined cancellation was the only viable option.

# Practical effects for attendees

• Refunds: If you bought tickets, refunds will be processed automatically. No action is required to get a refund.

• Local relief: Food that had been slated for the festival will be donated to local organizations serving New Yorkers.

# Fundraising and impact already secured

• Over the last six weeks, Global Citizens took 3.5 million actions.
• Those actions helped secure $208.8 million in financial commitments.
• The commitments are expected to impact about 9.5 million people.
• Stated outcomes include helping more than 2 million children access education and stay in school and supporting 7.5 million people including smallholder farmers, women, youth, and indigenous communities.

# Context and next steps

# What to watch for now

# Bottom line The festival was canceled because forecasts predicted dangerous weather that would compromise safety for people and equipment. Financial commitments secured through recent advocacy remain in place, refunds will be processed automatically, and the organizers plan to bring the festival back to Central Park next year.