The lineup for the 2026 Global Citizen Festival in New York’s Central Park will feature K-pop superstars TOMORROW X TOGETHER, as well as reunited Fugees bandmates Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, Lenny Kravitz, John Legend, Shaboozey and Lainey Wilson.
The world’s largest movement to end extreme poverty will welcome the acts to the Great Lawn on Sept. 26 for an event hosted by Hugh Jackman and featuring appearances from Rachel Brosnahan and Gayle King, with more names to be announced soon.
The event will find Hill and Jean once again teaming up to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Fugees’ iconic 1996 album The Score. Tickets to the 2026 Global Citizen Festival are free and can be earned by taking action on the Global Citizen app or at globalcitizenfestival.com. There is also a new way to take action and lock down tickets for this year’s event. After completing their action journeys on the Global Citizen app and earning enough points, users can choose between two ways to redeem them, by either entering a free ticket lottery, or making a $25 charitable donation to instantly secure their ticket.
“I believe all of us can do something to make the world a better place, so I’m proud to be performing at the Global Citizen Festival for the first time,” said Wilson in a statement. “It’s a chance to come together and support important work around children’s education, farmers and food security, and access to electricity — and have a whole lot of fun while we’re at it. Can’t wait to see y’all in Central Park!”
In the wake of the first-ever FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show — which was produced by Global Citizen and raised $60 million for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, — this year’s festival will focus on three core issues organizers say perpetuate cycles of extreme poverty across the world. First is creating opportunities for two million children to go to school, in addition to supporting 1.5 million smallholder farmers and providing electricity for 2.5 million homes.
All donations will also give back to New York City, with funds raised going to the City Parks Foundation to support their youth education programming and parks initiatives across all five boroughs, in addition to organizations helping those experiencing homelessness in the city. Tickets available through donations are limited, with the majority of Festival tickets available for free by taking action through the Global Citizen app.
“It’s time to gather once again on the Great Lawn, in the middle of New York City, to tell the world an end to extreme poverty is possible,” said Global Citizen Ambassador and co-host Jackman in a statement. “There’s something every one of us can do to change the world, and what better way to participate than by taking action with Global Citizen, earning those points, and celebrating with a day of music and advocacy to close out the summer. See you there!”
Global Citizen CEO/Co-founder Hugh Evans added that over the past three decades, the world has made extraordinary progress toward ending extreme poverty, noting that in 1990, around 2.3 billion people were living in extreme poverty. Today, he said, that number has fallen to around 830 million, or roughly one in 10 people globally.
“That didn’t happen by accident. It happened because leaders invested in people and communities, businesses stepped up, and citizens demanded action,” said Evans. “The lesson is that extreme poverty can be defeated, and that progress is a choice. The question facing us and our leaders today is simple: will we be the generation that finishes the job, or the generation that allows decades of progress to unravel?”
Check out the 2026 Global Citizen Festival poster below.
