The Global Citizen Festival on Saturday, September 27, 2025, in Central Park is known for blending music and activism, but attending the massive New York event is a chaotic rite of passage. While the cause addressing poverty and its root causes is undeniably great, the process of attending is way less glamorous. My friends and I didn’t arrive until around 3 p.m., only to be faced with a line stretching at least two full blocks. It was extremely hot, and getting through that first checkpoint took us a grueling hour and a half. We encountered many people selling refreshments, beaded skirts and flags, which was ironic since flags were prohibited in the venue.
Speaking of irony, for an event to raise funds to protect the Amazon rainforest and ensure global education, the organizers insisted that hundreds of people print out their tickets. This seemed like a massive waste of paper, and many people who had not read the instructions had to leave the line to find a printer. Luckily, I was the plus-one for a friend who won free tickets through an online giveaway, so we only had to pay $4 to print ours at a UPS store, technically not entirely free, but a huge win nonetheless.
After surviving the first massive line, we had to follow a path that was at least a 15-25 minute walk until we finally reached the ticket check. They scanned our paper tickets and let us in, allowing us to keep the physical tickets. As someone who loves keepsakes, I appreciated this, but it also reinforced the vast amount of paper waste from the event. By the time we made it through another long path full of people, it was around 5 p.m., and we were hearing faint music from the crowd, essentially watching the livestream in person as we walked.
It took forever to get through the final checkpoint, which was security. Those without bags flew through, but since I’m a girl, I had a bag. Thankfully, I had a clear one, which made security much faster than those with non-clear bags. We then had to walk up a hill and reached the Great Lawn at 5:17 p.m., just in time for Elyanna’s set.
At this point, I was exhausted but relieved to be out of the line. We were too late to see the actual stage, but thankfully, giant screens were everywhere. We caught Elyanna (8/10), whom I had never heard before, but loved for her great vibes and dancing. She was a perfect start to our evening. Camilo followed around 5:37 p.m. (7/10), excellent and lively. We then spotted familiar faces like Bill Nye and Liza Koshy on the screens.
The energy shifted when various CEOs and presidents’ long, mandatory ads and talks started. The fun evaporated. This is when the exhaustion really set in. Ayra Starr came on around 6:05 p.m. (7/10), and while I enjoyed her vibe and she helped get the crowd hyped, her set felt like it went on forever. Mariah the Scientist came on at 6:57 p.m. (7.5/10), providing a much-needed, mellow interlude, though her outfit, especially the helmet, was a true sight. By 7:30 p.m., the combination of heat, long speeches and exhaustion annoyed me. The moment a performer left the stage, we all sat down in the middle of the crowd, knowing a long break of fundraising updates and speeches was coming.
Then Tyla came out at 7:30 p.m. (10/10), and my entire mood lifted. She was flawless; her set was so much fun and the crowd went wild. Unfortunately, the mixture of heat and dehydration caused people to pass out, but Tyla was beneficial, ensuring they got medical attention.
The ads returned at 8 p.m. when Tyla finished. But then came the surprises: Ayra Starr returned at 8:15 p.m. and brought out Rema! It was a massive, cool surprise that totally re-energized the crowd. Cardi B followed at 8:35 p.m. (10/10). She was a last-minute addition and pregnant, but she absolutely held it down, giving a great, albeit short, performance of three songs. Singing “Bodak Yellow” live with her for the first time was incredible. ROSÉ followed at 8:59 p.m. (7/10), singing a beautiful cover of “Linger” by the Cranberries plus a few other songs.
Finally, Shakira came out at 9:28 p.m. (10/10). So many people had left that we were able to get much closer and see the actual stage better. Her performance was spectacular, even when it rained on us briefly. Her set ended around 9:55 p.m., marking the end of the festival.
My friends and I held hands as we navigated the crowd. Though the headliners were incredible, the exhaustion, dehydration and the chaotic process made the overall experience a 4/10. We all vowed we would only return if our favorite performers were headlining. Great cause, though!