Global Citizen is the world's largest movement of action takers and impact makers dedicated to ending extreme poverty. The organization encourages global citizens everywhere to post, tweet, message, vote, sign, and call to inspire those who can make things happen — government leaders, businesses, philanthropists, artists, and citizens — together, to improve lives.

Global Citizen aimed to unite the world to defend the planet, defeat poverty, and end the COVID-19 pandemic. Global Citizen Live, the 24-hour broadcast, featured artists, organizations, and world leaders across six continents who came together to create change. Audiences were urged to push for action to halt climate change and for wealthy countries to deliver on $100B climate pledge, $6B for famine relief, and for vaccine justice. It served as the platform for over 60M COVID-19 vaccine donations, 157M trees, and over US$1.1B committed to climate, famine, and COVID response efforts.

Global Citizen has always responded quickly to humanitarian crises, and Global Citizen Live met the moment by addressing the realities of our world and calling for world leaders, businesses, and philanthropists to act to end the pandemic, defeat extreme poverty, and defend our planet. Together, the team aimed to instill hope and offer a glimpse into a post-pandemic reality.

Global Citizen Live aimed to unite the world behind one rallying cry: Defend the Planet, Defeat Poverty. Through a remarkable lineup of world leaders, advocates, and artists, the campaign and event mobilized billions of dollars toward this goal. The global event was filled with performances, alongside pledges and commitments from leaders across politics, the private sector, and philanthropy towards defending the planet and defeating poverty – leading to a demonstrable impact and helping create a more just world.

In keeping with Global Citizen’s model, the organization accepted advocacy, changemaking, and impact as means to securing tickets. Once concertgoers created an account through the Global Citizen app, they were offered opportunities to earn tickets by taking action – ranging from signing petitions, writing letters to politicians, sharing messages on social media, and more. With every action taken, users earned points which could then be redeemed for rewards, including tickets to this once-in-a-lifetime event.

Global Citizen Live drove action and policy change, and included performances from nearly every continent, featured top-tier and young up-and-coming artists across every genre, and inspiring activists. In the middle of a pandemic, the event transformed iconic venues – from the New Afrika Shrine to the Sydney Opera House, the Champs de Mars to the India Gate – into historic settings for the betterment of our world.

While Global Citizen first ideated Global Goal Live in 2019 (set to happen in 2020), plans were shifted due to COVID-19. Two years in the making, with a new name, and armed with the experience of hosting the first in-person concert since the pandemic, VAX LIVE, the organization announced Global Citizen Live on July 13, 2021.

The 24-hour live broadcast event aired globally on ABC, BBC, FX, iHeartRadio, YouTube, Twitter, Apple, and other platforms to millions of viewers around the world. The day of unity featured dazzling performances from BTS in Seoul; Coldplay, Billie Eilish, Lizzo in NYC; Ed Sheeran and Elton John at the Champ de Mars in Paris; Stevie Wonder, Migos in LA; Femi Kuti, Tiwa Savage in Lagos; Kylie Minogue, Nile Rodgers in London; Alok on the Amazon River; Tanishk Bagchi in Mumbai; Deltra Goodrem in front of the Sydney Opera House, and more.