Music, movement, and measurable impact on one unforgettable night. The Global Citizen Festival returned to the Great Lawn with 60,000 people in the park — and millions more watching worldwide — to prove, again, that pop culture can move policy when people act together. This year’s show blended show-stopping sets with concrete commitments for clean energy, rainforest protection, and children’s health and education. From surprise stage moments to phone-lit pledges, an Indigenous ceremony to a battery-powered stage, here are 10 moments that captured the spirit, scale, and joy of #GCF2025 — and why they matter.

1) Europe Details $640M Plan for Clean Power Across Africa

The European Commission translated big promises into project blueprints. This included high-voltage lines, rural mini-grids, and nationwide electrification packages that will bring reliable power to communities across multiple countries. It was a standout policy reveal as it answered a nagging question on most people’s minds after large financial pledges are made: how will you make this happen, and by when? Turning the committed Euros into tangible plans makes “tripling renewables” a real — and trackable — goal.

2) Fogo Azul NYC’s 50 Drummers Thunder the Start

The women-led samba-reggae ensemble rollicked down the runway and ignited the park’s collective heartbeat. It wasn’t just a burst of hype; it was a blueprint for how joy mobilizes. The line of blue drums, the call-and-response, the infectious dancing — it all said: participation is the point. When a movement feels like this, people join, stay, and act again tomorrow.

Fogo Azul NYC set the tone with 50 drummers whose beats turned the park into a call to participate. Image: Getty Images

3) Education Fund Surges Past $30 Million

Onstage and at the Impact Sessions (which took place a few days ahead of the festival), momentum built behind the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund — with contributions from MetLife, Bank of America, Cisco, the Government of Sierra Leone, and more — pushing the fund past the festival milestone of $30 million towards the path to $100 million by 2026. Quality education and football programs financed by this fund will reach tens of thousands of kids, pairing necessary life skills with learning. It’s a win you could feel in the crowd.

4) Tyla Takes NYC

South Africa’s Tyla transformed Central Park into a late-summer dance floor, proof that the Queen of Popiano knows how to command the global stage. Sleek, beat-driven, and effortlessly cool, her set echoed the festival’s African energy arc — from renewable power to cultural pride. The message between the basslines was clear: the clean-energy future we’re building in Africa is already powering creativity and lighting up the world.

Tyla lit up Central Park with Amapiano beats and South African pride, showing how the continent’s clean-energy future is already driving global culture. Image: Getty Images

5) Volunteer Power: Thousands Earned Their Tickets

With every festival, tickets are earned — and this year that sentiment was taken to the next level with in-person community work. From Global Citizen Day with The Bowery Mission to beach cleanups and 40,000 mentorship signups, it was sensational to have citizens earn their tickets by showing up where it matters most — a feat that was shouted by advocates on stage, including Kristen Bell.

6) Ayra Starr & Rema Spark a Phone-Lit Pledge

In one of the night’s most unforgettable sights, Ayra Starr and surprise guest Rema asked the park to “shine a light,” and tens of thousands of phones rose like stars. The moment crystallized what Global Citizen stands for: participation is simple but powerful. A raised light becomes a petition signed, a representative called, a donation made. 

7) Sustainability in Practice: SmartGrid Stage, Veg Menu, Offsets

Each year Global Citizen Festival remains committed to making the event a sustainable affair. In 2025, the show walked its talk. The main stage ran on a SmartGrid battery system, all food was vegetarian with expanded vegan options, and biochar credits (which come from turning farm waste into a charcoal-like substance that locks carbon into the soil) helped offset the footprint while supporting smallholder farmers. Behind the scenes, surplus meals were donated, and cans were recycled through local partners. 

8) Cardi B Ignites the Great Lawn

A culture-defining, GRAMMY-winning force, Cardi B delivered a high-voltage, hit-packed set that turned Central Park into one giant Bronx block party — all swagger, precision, and pure joy. She commanded the stage with her razor-sharp charisma and effortless crowd control, reminding everyone why pop culture is one of the movement’s most powerful accelerants: when the energy spikes, so does the will to act.

Cardi B lit up the Great Lawn with a hit-packed set that turned Central Park into a Bronx block party. Her energy and command proved why pop culture still drives movements. Image: Getty Images

9) Shakira’s Global Chorus Closes With “Waka Waka”

For the festival’s finale, Shakira transformed the Great Lawn into a nation of one, with voices lifted in unison on “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa).” It was a cathartic, joyful finale — and a passing of the torch. The song’s refrain, born as a World Cup anthem for the first African FIFA World Cup in 2010, doubled as a call to keep pushing toward the next major events on the advocacy calendar: Global Citizen Festival: Amazônia and the G20 meetings — this time for Africa’s energy future, for the protection of the Amazon’s forests, and for children’s education everywhere.

Shakira’s “Waka Waka” finale turned the Great Lawn into one voice for action — toward Africa’s energy, the Amazon’s forests, and children’s education everywhere. Image: Getty Images

Why These Moments Matter

The night traced Global Citizen’s signature arc — from values and participation, through policy and celebration, to accountability. Indigenous leadership framed the stakes; volunteers and audience pledges proved the model; governments and companies laid out concrete delivery plans; artists turned attention into energy. That formula has helped drive tens of billions in commitments since 2008 — and it’s still evolving as the movement grows.

What You Can Do Next

Join the millions of Global Citizens turning moments into momentum. Download the Global Citizen app, take action on clean energy, rainforest protection, and children’s education and nutrition, and invite a friend to do the same. When voices rise together — in a park, online, or in your community — leaders listen, and lives change.