Saturday nights are sacred.

The average human being will have 3,702 Saturday’s to spend across their lifetime. Just turned 18? Don’t panic — you’ve got approximately 2,766 left. But there’s a pertinent question here, a Seriously Important Life Evaluation that needs to happen right now. Every Saturday should be special. So how will you spend the next one?

Enter: us.

The Global Citizen Festival is back in a big way tonight — a gargantuan, colossal, monumentally superlative-riddled way. Stevie Wonder, Green Day, The Killers and more will join 60,000 global citizens in New York City’s Central Park to create a tidal wave of noise around the world’s most challenging issues.

It kicks off from 9pm in the UK, and you can stream the whole thing on YouTube, Twitter, or through the Global Citizen website. So get your Irish coffee on, unfurl your protest banners as a makeshift duvet, and settle in for the Superbowl of activism (minus all that distracting sports stuff). Did I mention how massive it’s going to be?

If you’re still not convinced, here’s eight reasons why you should be.

1) Stevie Wonder is headlining… and he’s bringing friends.

Friends are awesome.

But Stevie Wonder’s friends? Let’s just say you’d want them on your speed dial.

I wish we could tell you what’s on the cards. But, you know, surprises are fun — remember Shakira’s duet with Coldplay? Or Jay Z and Beyonce? So hang on until the end and revel in it. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

This ain’t Stevie’s first rodeo either. Here he is talking to us ahead of his incredible performance at Global Citizen Festival 2013. Isn’t he lovely?

2) Green Day will be fiery and unpredictable.

Green Day have got political.

In their music video for “Troubled Times,” the band depicted refugees fleeing war zones and showed clashes between white supremacists and counter-protesters in Charlottesville. At last year’s American Music Awards, they made headlines across the world as they ripped into President Donald Trump. Their last album was even called Revolution Radio.

Anything could happen when Green Day take the stage tonight. It’s going to be an explosive performance — we're all in for a wild ride.

3) Be part of the movement.

The last six years have been a whirlwind of activism. Millions of global citizens have taken nearly 13 million actions. You’ve signed petitions, emailed world leaders, and called governments on the phone to commit over £22 billion and change the lives of a billion people by 2030.

Pretty impressive, huh?

But we’re just getting started. Make sure you don’t miss a moment — every time somebody makes another pledge on the Global Citizen stage, even more lives will change forever. Come watch it live with us.

4) Pharrell always brings the house down.

When Pharrell Williams performed at Global Citizen Hamburg he tried to take the whole crowd on stage with him. Seriously.

It’s easy to forget how many hits this man has. Hundreds of millions of single sales, billions of YouTube views, and a whopping 10 Grammy wins all point towards a guy with some seriously funky jams.

"Let's show everybody what ending extreme poverty looks like tonight," he said onstage in Germany. Spoiler: it looks really, really great.

5) Get inspired by the world’s most incredible humans.

Malala, Michelle Obama, and Justin Trudeau have all graced the Global Citizen stage before.

And already this week we’ve had dozens of globally renowned activists, journalists, politicians, and artists take over New York for Global Citizen Week.

“If you want to go fast, go alone,” said Michael Klosson, quoting an old African proverb, at our Movement Makers event earlier this week. “But if you want to go far, go together.”

Get ready to get motivated.

6) See The Killers… killing it.

There’s only one thing better than being in a crowd of 60,000 people belting out Mr. Brightside.

And that’s being on your own, with a cup of tea, contentedly humming the chorus in your own time.

How did it end up like this?

7) Hugh Jackman is hosting (with some surprise help).

Who can forget when Hugh Jackman arrived on stage at last year’s festival on a tandem bicycle with Chelsea Handler?

Jackman introduced himself on stage as “Chelsea Handler’s Uber driver”, before Handler tried her hand at impromptu freestyle rap. Now, Jackman is back — and with a mic in his hand the world already feels just a little bit better.

Neil Patrick Harris and Priyanka Chopra have previously helped us host, and there’s a bunch of brand new speakers lined up to talk tonight. But you’ll have to tune in to find out who.

8) It’ll be so much better than X-Factor.

It’s not the hardest decision you’ll ever have to make — don’t pick Simon over Stevie.

And the pubs will be closing soon anyway, so what have you got to lose?

Watch the live stream from 9pm!

TopicsGlobal Citizen FestivalNew YorkHugh JackmanLive StreamStevie WonderPharrell WilliamsGreen DayThe Killers

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Demand Equity

8 Reasons Why You Should Stay Up Late to Watch the Global Citizen Festival Tonight

By James Hitchings-Hales