Alicia Keys ‘and Friends,’ Victoria Monet, More Join Global Citizen Festival Lineup

Organizers of the 2026 Global Citizen Festival unveiled an expanded lineup on Thursday, confirming that Alicia Keys & friends, Victoria Monét, Yeonjun, and Yoshiki will take part in the event. The gathering is scheduled for September 26 at Central Park in New York City. These latest additions will share the stage with previously announced performers, including Lauryn Hill & Wyclef Jean, Lenny Kravitz, John Legend, Lainey Wilson, Shaboozey, and Tomorrow X Together. Alicia Keys, a 15-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter known for hits like "Fallin'" and "No One," has a long-standing relationship with Global Citizen and has performed at its festival multiple times before.

Beyond the music, the day will feature a wide array of public figures, such as Bill Nye, IZA, Jordan Fisher, Katie Couric, Lais Ribeiro, Marcus Samuelsson, Naomi Watanabe, Nomzamo Mbatha, PJ Sin Suela, and Vladimir Duthiers. They will be joined by Rachel Brosnahan, Gayle King, and Hugh Jackman, who will host the 2026 edition. As a major advocacy platform, the festival is focusing this year's efforts on three issues that perpetuate extreme poverty: expanding educational access for 2 million children, supporting 1.5 million smallholder farmers, and providing electricity to 2.5 million households. This emphasis on measurable commitments mirrors a growing trend in celebrity-driven philanthropy, where organizers increasingly pair star power with specific, trackable development goals rather than broad awareness campaigns. For instance, the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, which include eradicating poverty and expanding education, provide a framework that events like this often align with to ensure accountability.

Admission to the 2026 Global Citizen Festival remains free, with tickets available by completing actions through the Global Citizen app. For New Yorkers, there is an additional option this year: volunteering locally throughout September in activities like urban planting, beach clean-ups, and food donation drives. Partner organizations running these efforts include Bowery Mission, Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy, Pollinator Pathways, Support and Feed, and 9.11 Day. Since its inception in 2012, Global Citizen has generated billions of dollars in pledges from governments, corporations, and philanthropists targeting food security, climate change, and gender equality. The festival's model of incentivizing civic action through free access has been praised by experts; as one philanthropy researcher noted, "This approach transforms passive audiences into active participants, creating a ripple effect that extends far beyond the event itself."

Reflecting on her return, Alicia Keys said, "There's nothing like standing on that Global Citizen stage in the middle of Central Park, in my city, with people who love the world enough to show up for it. Every time we come together something shifts." She continued, "That's exactly what the People's Bill of Rights 250 is about. Passing the mic. Making sure every voice gets heard, and giving people the power to shape what comes next. I'm coming back with some incredible friends, and we're bringing all that love and all that passion to the park." Katie Hill, Chief Music and Entertainment Officer at Global Citizen, remarked, "We're thrilled to welcome this amazing lineup of artists from around the world who are generously donating their time to perform on the Global Citizen Festival stage. Some are joining us for the first time, others have supported our movement from the very beginning. What unites them is the belief that music has the power to move people to action, and they'll take the stage in Central Park to help drive progress toward a world without extreme poverty."

The festival will be streamed live across multiple platforms, including the Amazon Music app, Amazon Music channels on Fire TV and Twitch, Prime Video, Apple Music, iHeartRadio, TikTok, Veeps, and YouTube. Cisco presents the 2026 Global Citizen Festival, with support from major partners such as Authentic Brands Group, Bridgewater Associates, Delta Air Lines, MetLife, PayPal, and P&G. Live Nation serves as production partner, iHeartMedia as exclusive U.S. audio partner, and NYC Parks as location partner, while Emmy Award-winning production companies Done+Dusted and Diversified Production Services produce the event. A new ticket option debuts this year: after completing action journeys on the Global Citizen app and earning enough points, users can either enter the free ticket lottery or make a $25 charitable donation for an instant ticket. Donations will benefit New York City, with proceeds going to City Parks Foundation for free programming and community engagement in parks across all five boroughs, and to organizations aiding the city's homeless population.

Global Citizen also acknowledged its media and marketing partners, including Branded Cities, Captivate, GroceryTV, GSTV, Intersection Media, KEVANI, NYC Ferry, OUTFRONT, Seen Media, and Trooh. The festival's ongoing mission aligns with the broader international effort to achieve the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those focused on poverty eradication, education expansion, and sustainable communities. As in previous years, the event aims to harness music and celebrity influence to drive concrete action and policy changes.