Thousands pack Central Park for Global Citizen Festival
NEW YORK - Tens of thousands of people packed Central Park on Saturday for the Global Citizen Festival.
Metallica, Mariah Carey and the Jonas Brothers were among the headliners.
As CBS2's Thalia Perez reports, it's the 10th year for the international concert series, and organizers are calling on world leaders and major corporations to take immediate action on issues including our planet, ending global poverty and empowering youth.
Tickets for the festival weren't for sale; concert-goers had to earn them by taking action themselves, such as calling local leaders and signing petitions, to generate change for the movement.
"We took actions on their platform, so we tweeted congressmen, we signed pledges, sent emails, sent letters," Bronx resident Alba Cruz said.
"It's not just like a freebie. It's kind of like we give you something, you give back, so it's a good idea. It's great," said Colin Aguesseau, from Parsippany, New Jersey.
"I think we should take action without getting a ticket, but we know as humans we are lazy. We need motivation," said Hamida Shamat, from Germany.
Patrick Seifert and his 12-year-old son, Memphis, traveled from Seattle for the concert.
"I got on the website probably like a year ago and just started downloading all of the activism that they have you, signing signatures," Seifert said.
"I've been just so excited because of this. It's just like a dream come true," Memphis said.
As musicians were taking the stage in New York City, artists such as Usher and H.E.R. were performing at a concert in Ghana.
"We'll be getting commitments on our stage in Accra [the capital of Ghana] today and here in Central Park, and we think we're getting close to the billion dollar marker," Global Citizen President Liza Henshaw said. "We're really proud, but there's a lot more to do. COVID set everybody back. It put 100 million more people onto the brink of extreme poverty."
All of the performers for Saturday's star-studded event donated their time to amplify the message to stand up and make a difference in the world.