The countdown has officially begun until Global Citizen Festival touches down in Ghana on Sept. 24. 

Accra will be hosting the sister event to Global Citizen’s annual New York City festival, and we cannot wait to see headliners like Usher, Gyakie, and TEMS take to the stage at the iconic Black Star Square! Discover all the epic artists performing in Accra here. 

Ghana’s President Nana Afuko-Addo said: “Ghana is honoured to host this year’s edition of the Global Citizen Festival. I look forward to welcoming each and every one of you to Accra, capital of the country at the centre of the world.”  

“Together, let us join hands and help accelerate progress towards the realisation of the SDGs,” he continued, referring to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (a.k.a Global Goals) to end extreme poverty and its systemic causes “We owe it to the next generation to live in a world free from poverty, disease, and the degradation of the environment.” 

Global Citizens all around the world have taken over 30.4 million actions since 2009. Today, these actions, in combination with high-level advocacy work, have led to over $41.4 billion being distributed to our partners around the world, impacting 1.15 billion lives in the fight to end extreme poverty. 

Today, we’re in an incredible position to celebrate our progress, and to also keep pushing towards the great deal of work that still needs to be done. Where better to celebrate our wins and prioritise our next steps towards ending extreme poverty for everyone, everywhere, than on the African continent? 

There couldn’t be a more fitting place to toast to all that we’ve achieved together and continue to grow the power of the Global Citizen movement than in a country that has plenty of reason to celebrate itself this year: Ghana.

The year 2022 marks 65 years of independence in Ghana, the first of Africa’s 54 countries to be liberated from colonisation. Ghana became a symbol of freedom for the rest of the continent, as it was because of its fight for independence that steps were made towards the founding of the African Union — and amazingly, the African Union itself celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. 

The festival is bound to be one for the history books, but we’re even more excited to continue to grow our pan-African movement and introduce Ghanaian action-takers to Global Citizen. So now, we only have one question for you: Ghana, are you ready to take action with Global Citizen? 

Here’s what you need to know: 

What Is Global Citizen? 

Global Citizen is an advocacy organisation that is dedicated to ending extreme poverty NOW. We’ve grown and are continuing to grow the world's largest movement of action-takers and impact-makers who are calling for urgent change to protect and uplift the world’s most vulnerable. 

We take action by posting, tweeting, messaging, voting, signing, and calling to inspire those who can make things happen — government leaders, businesses, philanthropists, artists, and citizens — together improving lives. 

This year in particular, as part of our “End Extreme Poverty NOW — Our Future Can’t Wait” campaign, we’re calling on Global Citizens everywhere to take action for girls, for the planet, and to create change.

Our End Extreme Poverty NOW campaign is focused on four key areas: empowering girls and women with education, health, nutrition, and more; taking climate action now to slow the impact of climate change; breaking the systemic barriers that keep people in poverty; and defending advocacy by raising up the voices of activists all over the world. 

What Does It Mean to Be a Global Citizen? 

Being a Global Citizen means you are a part of a global movement that believes ending extreme poverty is possible in our lifetime, and that the resources that can bring poverty to an end can be mobilised if enough people call for it by taking action.

It means stepping up, one action at a time, and becoming part of a united voice that is powerful enough to create sustainable and effective change towards defeating poverty, demanding equity, and defending the planet. 

You can learn more about what it means to be a Global Citizen, and how our actions drive impact, in our article, or watch the video below. 

Why Should I Take Action?

Not only is it a way to raise your voice and stand up for equity and justice for all people, but taking action shows world leaders that you’re serious about the significant changes that we’re calling on them to make, that you’re paying attention to their actions, and that you want them to use their platforms, resources, and influence to end extreme poverty NOW.

When you take action with Global Citizen, you know it makes an impact. We track every commitment made on our stage, and follow up with commitment-makers to ensure funds and other pledges are delivered. 

So far, Global Citizens have taken over 30.4 million actions on our platform. Today, these actions, in combination with high-level advocacy work, have led to over $41.4 billion being distributed to our partners around the world, impacting 1.15 billion lives in the fight to end extreme poverty. 

Find out more about how the actions of Global Citizens drive impact here. 

How Can I Take Action? 

The easiest way to start taking action is by downloading the Global Citizen app. 

Once you’ve downloaded the app you’ll be updated on our latest actions and Challenges that you can take to help bring extreme poverty to an end. The Global Citizen app also has features to help you learn more about the systemic causes of extreme poverty and take action on these issues. For each action and Challenge you take, you’ll earn points that you can use for your chance to win tickets to Global Citizen Festival: Accra. 

You can also take action through our website, by signing up as a Global Citizen and heading to our Take Action page. You’ll also be able to take in-person actions within your local community soon, so keep your eyes peeled and follow us on socials @GlblCtznAfrica for those.  

Tell Me More About the Global Citizen Festival.

The Global Citizen Festival is an annual music event that takes place in September every year, bringing together artists, Global Citizens, world leaders, business leaders, and philanthropists in the mission to end extreme poverty. 

On the Global Citizen Festival stage you’ll not only see some of the world’s most influential artists and musicians bringing the house down, but it is also the place where world leaders, the private sector, and philanthropists make commitments that contribute to alleviating poverty for everyone, everywhere. 

In 2021, we hosted Global CItizen Live, a monumental event that was broadcast from an unprecedented seven continents. It featured 24 hours of music performances, with commitments from world leaders, businesses, and philanthropists to defend the planet and defeat poverty. During Global Citizen Live, more than US$1.1 billion, 157 million trees, and over 60 million COVID-19 vaccines were announced. 

But Global Citizens don’t buy their tickets for our festivals — instead, you earn your ticket by taking action on our platform, including actions focused on empowering girls and women; breaking systemic barriers that keep people in poverty; and taking climate action. 

This year, we could not be happier to be returning to Africa after our inaugural festival on the continent in 2018, Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 (find out more about the impact of the festival here), which was held at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. 

Since then, more than US$4.7 billion of the total $7.2 billion in funding announced during the event has been disbursed by commitment makers to communities and organisations on the front lines of extreme poverty, impacting the lives of over 117 million people in South Africa and across the world. 

Tell Me About Global Citizen Festival: Accra Though. Who’s Playing? How Can I Be There? 

We have an amazing lineup of artists taking the stage in Accra this September, including the likes of Usher, Gyakie, and TEMS. Find the full lineup here. 

You can earn tickets by taking action on the Global Citizen platform through our app or on our website. These actions include signing petitions, sending emails, and taking action in your community. 

As you take actions, you will receive points on your Global Citizen profile. You can then use those points to enter our four ticket draws — which you’ll be able to find in the Rewards section of our website and app — to earn tickets for the festival. Each entry will cost a total of 20 points, and you can enter each draw multiple times. If you don’t win in the first draw, you can keep trying and enter each draw as many times as you like. 

Find out more about how to earn tickets to Global Citizen Festival: Accra, in our FAQs here.  

We will also have some in-person opportunities to earn tickets if you are unable to take action digitally. Stay tuned to our social media channels @GlblCtznAfrica for more information.

Already a Global Citizen? You can use any of your existing points in your Global Citizen account to enter the draw to earn festival tickets. 

How Do I Know if I’ve Earned Tickets?

At the end of each ticket draw, we’ll notify winners via email. Winners will have 48 hours to claim their tickets. Don’t forget to check your spam folder to see if you received an email from us, from the account: reply@globalcitizen.org. 

If you want to know more about Global Citizen Festival in Ghana, head over to our FAQs page. 

Global Citizen Festival is calling on world leaders, corporations, and philanthropists to do more than they’ve ever done before to End Extreme Poverty NOW. Through our global campaign and with stages in two iconic locations — NYC’s Central Park and Accra’s Black Star Square — we will unite leaders, artists, activists, and Global Citizens around the world on Sept. 24 to achieve an ambitious policy agenda focused on empowering girls and women, taking climate action, breaking systemic barriers, and lifting up activists and advocates. Wherever you are in the world, you can join the campaign and take action right now by downloading the Global Citizen app.