Unity can be such a beautiful thing. When everyone can join together due to a common interest and just be happy, it’s a wonderful thing to experience. I think that this is what the Global Citizen Festival is trying to do. I emphasize the word “trying” because although their intentions are pure, not all people come to the festival for what they attempt to highlight: unity, advocacy, education, environmentalism, disability awareness, the LGBTQIA+ community, etc. Some only buy tickets to hear their one favorite artist and leave right after, forgetting that the reason any of us attend Global Citizen Festival is, yes, for great live music, but also to “end extreme poverty world wide.” Although I personally learned a lot about very important issues that are going on worldwide that are not only affecting us, but our entire planet, other people were not so receptive to the educational aspect of the experience of the annual New York festival in Central Park. Here was my experience.
Global Citizen’s venue and Crowd:
My friend and I made sure to arrive as early as possible while still getting enough rest the night before. We arrived at one of the three available entrances that would take our ticket at 10 a.m. with only a small clear purse and two ponchos between us. The number one thing I was dreading was the wait until the actual festival began at 4 p.m. And sadly, it was going to be raining the entire day, so the wait was going to be excruciatingly painful. The rain nearly made it unbearable; people were agitated, cold, and wet. Everyone was already anticipating some of their favorite artists to grace the stage, but the rain was just making everything worse. Along with the weather, some of the people in the audience were also insufferable. I’ve written about concert etiquette before, so I won’t dwell on it too much, but it was horrible, in short. From drunk people not being aware of personal space, to people smoking and vaping straight in others’ faces, to even physical and verbal altercations. All of this happened before the festival even started. However, despite all of this, the behavior that bothered me the most from audience members was the disrespect for various speakers onstage.
For those who may not know, Global Citizen is not just a normal festival, but also one that advocates for global change on a plethora of different issues. As there are educational and not just musical elements of the show, there are many different speakers who are well-versed in topics ranging from disability to climate change, who speak before and in between the musical guests. There were times where I was genuinely interested in what the speakers were saying and trying to explain to the crowd, but there were disrespectful people chanting their favorite artists’ names or even booing. I found some of the behavior from people who either paid money or signed a bunch of petitions for good causes to be here to be embarrassing. Growing up, it was instilled in me that talking when others are speaking is disrespectful, so when people were talking, dancing, singing, yelling, etc. while the guest speakers were trying to share their stories and ways to donate or advocate, to say I was shocked was an understatement.
I’ve heard some people say that people would be less disrespectful if all of the speakers came out at the beginning and then all of the artists at the end instead of staggering them – that people would be more engaged and excited for both then. I also heard several people call the speakers “ads” or “commercials.” They expressed that the speakers coming in and out between and before performances felt like when TV shows go to commercial right before the best part or climax of an episode. I found it really interesting how frustrated and irritated people can get when they are forced to watch something that genuinely doesn’t interest them. While I hear and understand these suggestions, I feel like people should know what they signed up for. Global Citizen is advertised as not just a musical festival, but one that is known for advocating for change. People knew there would be speakers, politicians, and actors, yet they only focused on seeing the celebrities or singers they love. Again, this is fair and understandable, but I don’t see the purpose in complaining about something you willingly were aware of and signed up for.
The Performers
While I personally enjoyed a lot of the guest speakers, including Bill Nye, Liza Koshy, Rhett and Link, Jordan Fisher, Hugh Jackman (who hosted the festival), Gayle King, Danai Gurira, and many more, I was extremely excited for the lineup of musical guests. I personally think that the festival brought out people who are mostly new or niche, and larger, more popular artists as headliners. Benson Boone, a 22-year-old pop singer who has been rising to fame since 2021, was an artist I was really excited to see. Having known about him since 2020, from both TikTok and American Idol, I consider myself a fan. My first time seeing Boone live was nothing short of amazing. His vocals and charisma caught the entire crowd by surprise, and I could see girls falling in love with him throughout his four-song set. He was extremely entertaining and engaging, something I was looking for in an artist’s live performance. About 45 minutes after Boone performed, Jelly Roll, a country singer-songwriter and rapper, came out. He’s not someone that I’d typically choose to listen to, but he put on a great show. Raye came on next, an artist I’ve enjoyed listening to for the past year or two, as she uniquely mixes a blend of the jazz and pop genres through her music. Her set was stunning and brought elements of both her band and her beautiful vocals. And through all of this, the rain seemed to be never-ending, just like the talent.Â
Next up was my friend’s favorite artist, Latin singer Rauw Alejandro. You could see the people attending the festival change from a crowd to a community. So many flags representing people’s native countries were flown, and so much joy was everywhere throughout Alejandro’s performance. With elements of salsa and reggaeton, he had a song for everyone, so much so that he gained a new fan out of me by the end of his set. After Alejandro, it was time for Lisa, a member of the famous K-pop girl group, Blackpink. I think most of the people in the crowd were here for her show-stopping performance, and I understand why. From her powerful and passionate fanbase, to her dancers, to her playing a new song, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed her performance. The next guest was someone I had been wanting to see for years and years: Doja Cat. She was the first artist to come out and perform more than four songs, and I was immensely grateful for it. She performed both old and new songs while dancing and being accompanied by soulful backup singers. I would recommend her live performance to anyone. The following guests were introduced as a surprise by journalist Gayle King as a new boy group called Chris & Ed. I was more than confused by this, as these people were not on the lineup and weren’t anyone I had heard of. It was Ed Sheeran and Chris Martin, the lead singer of Coldplay. They came out and performed just two songs: one of Coldplay’s and one of Sheeran’s, and thanked Post Malone for allowing them to open for him. I thought it was a joke until Post Malone, who was the headliner of the festival, came out and performed and thanked them both for opening the show. Malone, being the multifaceted and talented artist that he is, played songs that spanned genres from rap to country. His show was raw, honest, and very communicative; he expressed his gratitude to the festival and his fans. This was my second time seeing him live, and he truly has music for everyone. Even with his new era and album being more country, his voice suited each song and genre perfectly, showing that he has incredible range.Â
In closing, Global Citizen Festival is a perfect mix of education, music, and community. If you are all about advocating and standing up for the things you believe in, this festival could be a great way for you to meet others that are also interested in that, find sources and outlets to do so, and physically see your change in the world by taking action. This festival is also an easy and cheap way to see a plethora of talented artists ranging in all genres that showcase many different talents. I learned a lot about things that are happening in the world, and about the artists and what they believe in. I appreciated the variety that the Global Citizen Festival had to offer, and I would absolutely recommend it to everyone. However, no matter what, they always have the festival around the same time of year, in rain or shine, so you have to be prepared for the weather. Despite some people being ignorant, impatient, and overall insensitive, I thought this festival was both impressive and fun. I can’t wait to do it all over again next year.