Global Citizen Fest: Cardi B, Tyla, Shakira & More Rock NYC

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It’s always a fun time when you get a chance to see live music, but there’s a different sense of pride you feel when hitting up the annual Global Citizen Festival. The hundreds of thousands who swarm Central Park in New York City every year literally have to do charity work in the form of “challenges” as their sole way of receiving a ticket, and the whole reason for the event itself is to raise awareness towards ending global poverty.

Thankfully, this year’s results proved to be record-breaking as per usual with a whopping 4.3 million actions taken towards the campaign mission, resulting in $140 million raised for children’s education and nutrition. As an added bonus, more than $30 million of that was also reserved for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.

Their treat for doing such a good job at doing good? Stage-rocking sets from the likes of fan-favorite hitmakers Shakira, Cardi B, Tyla, Ayra Starr, Mariah The Scientist, Camilo, Elyanna and BLACKPINK singer Rosé.

More details on the what and why for Global Citizen Fest 2025 below, via Global Citizen:

“This year’s Festival served as a rallying point for some of Global Citizen’s most ambitious goals yet. Over the past year, and intensively in the months leading up to the Festival, Global Citizens mobilized around three core campaigns: expanding renewable energy access across Africa, protecting and restoring the Amazon rainforest, and broadening education and football opportunities for children. Specifically, the 2025 Festival campaign set clear targets: to mobilize $200 million to safeguard 30 million hectares of the Amazon, provide quality education and football access for 30,000 children worldwide in partnership with FIFA, and deliver energy access to 1 million people across Africa, all of which serve Global Citizen’s greater mission to end extreme poverty within a generation.”

Aside from each live set, standout moments included surprise performances by Evaluna Montaner and Rema, longtime Global Citizen Ambassador Hugh Jackman handling hosting duties with ease and special appearances by Bill Nye, Adam Lambert, Danai Gurira, Liza Koshy, Idris Elba, Sabrina Dhowre Elba and a handful of others.

Elyanna, the 23-year-old pop sensation on a rise since her 2019 debut, truly made some new fans and solidied her already strong fanbase.

31-year-old Colombian heartthrob Camilo has one of the most unique singing voices in the biz, and it emanated across the Great Lawn with conviction throughout his entire set.

Ayra Starr, Nigeria’s 23-year-old It Girl of Afrobeats, showed us what a hot body can do and then came out later to do a song with surprise guest Rema…..and to also possibly reveal a budding relationship? Time will tell though.

Moving past the controversy surrounding her and boyfriend Young Thug in recent months, 27-year-old Mariah The Scientist suited up for war and made her fans happy with every note.

Then came Tyla — woah sah! At 23 years old, the South African beauty is holding down her title as Queen of Popiano with precision, killer dance moves and a serenading voice that made her set one of the night’s best. Not to mention, we’ll soon have a new song by her called “Chanel.”

Cardi absolutely held it down for her home city, and did so while roughly six months pregnant and just a few short weeks before her 33rd birthday. There’s no telling her that she’s not who she thinks she is.

Rosé pulled off one of her first solo sets since putting BLACKPINK on pause, including a beautiful rendition of “Linger” by ’90s rock band, The Cranberries. Quite phenomenal from the burgeoning 28-year-old K-pop queen.

Shakira was the showstopper in every sense of the word. At 48, she proved not only to be the most mature performer of the night but also the most technically-advanced — sound, stage, lighting, choreography, vocals and styling were all top dollar. Her hips never lied.