Global Citizen NOW is back for a second year with a new agenda for urgent action. The time has always been now to end extreme poverty, and that’s exactly what we’re driving action towards at this year’s NOW summit taking place on April 27 and 28 in New York City. 

Co-chaired by International Global Citizen Festival Curator Chris Martin and Global Citizen Ambassador Hugh Jackman, the two-day event will bring together government leaders, private sector executives, grassroots activists, cultural innovators, philanthropic experts, and leading journalists to set a global agenda for action on the most urgent issues facing humanity and the planet.

Some of the names attending this year include Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley, President of France Emmanuel Macron, Global Citizen Ambassador John Legend, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Sabrina Elba, Jordan Fisher, Tamron Hall, Katie Holmes, Bridget Moynahan, Gayle King, Nomzamo Mbatha, Joe Scarborough, Busy Phillipps, and many more. 

“Global Citizen NOW is an important opportunity for the voices of young people and Global Citizens everywhere to be heard by those in power, and for all of us, together, to find solutions that will shape our world for future generations,” said Global Citizen Ambassador, Hugh Jackman.

“The world is at a critical crossroads, and it is imperative that we act NOW to save our planet, address the climate crisis, ease the burdens crushing economies, and alleviate the suffering of the world’s most vulnerable people,” said Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados. “I am thrilled to be part of Global Citizen NOW, which is assembling global change-makers, listening to young people and grassroots activists, and driving an agenda of urgent action the world desperately needs.”

We’re also excited to announce that this year, for the first time, Global Citizens from all around the world can add their voices to the conversation and contribute questions to be included at the event through the Global Citizen app and website, or through WhatsApp. 

Here’s a breakdown of everything you need to know about Global Citizen NOW, and how you can raise your voice and get involved.

What Is Global Citizen NOW?

Global Citizen NOW brings together the brightest minds, influential decision makers, and the biggest names in pop culture to create a global agenda for urgent action. The summit is about more than talking about the world’s biggest challenges, it is about taking action to solve them.

Every Global Citizen NOW session will feature definitive next steps for participants, attendees, and Global Citizens to take immediate action on urgent issues including climate change, the global food crisis, gender inequality, protecting activists and defending civic space, and more. 

This year’s program will also feature major announcements on policy initiatives and intimate conversations with renowned artists, as well as corporate and world leaders. You can catch select panel sessions over livestreams on Instagram and LinkedIn — follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn to get the latest.

Taking place at The Glasshouse in New York City, Global Citizen NOW is supported by Global Partners Accenture, Cisco, Citi, Delta Air Lines, Harith General Partners, P&G, and Verizon, and Associate Partners Authentic Brands Group and Impossible Foods.

What Does the Program Look Like? 

Once again, this year’s summit is bringing together some of the world’s biggest decision makers, innovative thinkers, and brightest minds to spotlight urgent issues and work towards solving them. 

Showcasing the power of cross-sector participation to make progress on the systemic challenges our world is facing, Global Citizen NOW will feature a diverse program of sessions and speakers including: 

  • Climate of Urgency: Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados; Vanessa Nakate, Ugandan climate justice activist, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and author of A Bigger Picture; Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission; Chris Martin, International Global Citizen Festival Curator; and Dr. Rajiv Shah, President, Rockefeller Foundation.
  • How Ideas Become Impact: Sabrina Elba, United Nations IFAD Goodwill Ambassador; Hugh Jackman, Global Citizen Ambassador; Hugh Evans, Co-Founder & CEO, Global Citizen
  • New York Attorney General Letitia Jamesin conversation with two time Emmy Award-winning journalist and author Tamron Hall.
  • The “Good Life” : Portia Blunt, Vice President, Global Apparel, Reebok; Ebro Darden, Global Editorial Head of Hip-Hop and R&B, Apple Music, and Host, HOT 97; Nicole LaPointe Jameson, CEO, Evil Geniuses; Jordan Fisher, producer, actor, gamer; Gary Vaynerchuk, Chairman, VaynerX, and CEO, VaynerMedia 

Other participants include: Maggie Baird, Founder and President, Support + Feed; Helder Barbalho, Governor of the Amazonic State of Pará, Brazil; Phoebe Gates, Women’s Health & Reproductive Rights Activist; Prabal Gurung, Creative Director and Fashion Designer; Katie Holmes; Fran Katsoudas, EVP and Chief People, Policy & Purpose Officer, Cisco; Stefan Löfven, Former Prime Minister of Sweden; Tshepo Mahloele, Founder & Chairman, Harith General Partners; Mark Malloch-Brown, President, Open Society Foundations; Chris Martin, International Global Citizen Festival Curator; Peter McGuinness, President & CEO, Impossible Foods; Catherine McKenna, Chair of the UN High-Level Expert Group on Net-Zero; Bridget Moynahan, Global Citizen Ambassador; Antonio Nuño, CEO, Someone Somewhere; Marc Pritchard, Chief Brand Officer, P&G; Alok Sharma, COP26 President and Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom; Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director, Education Cannot Wait; Erna Solberg, Former Prime Minister of Norway; Abena Soreno, Founder, GOALSFORFLOW; Darren Walker, President, Ford Foundation; and Elizabeth Wathuti, Kenyan Climate Activist and Founder, Green Generation Initiative.

How Can I Get Involved? 

For the first time this year, you can get involved in the action from wherever you are in the world. That’s right, we want to bring your voice into the room at Global Citizen NOW and we’d love to hear what you have to say on these crucial issues. You can both contribute your perspectives by sharing a message with us for potential inclusion in the Global Citizen NOW programming; and ask questions of panelists and speakers.

You can do this either by downloading the Global Citizen app and submitting your message or question for panelists there; or you can send us a text on WhatsApp Messenger on the number +27 63 534 5148.

You can learn more about Global Citizen NOW and find out more about how you can get involved by visiting our FAQs page here

How Can I Watch Global Citizen NOW?

The summit’s opening sessions will be livestreamed globally on Reuters on Thursday, April 27 at 3:00 p.m. ET. 

Additionally, President of France Emmanuel Macron will be interviewed by Joe Scarborough live on MSNBC’s Morning Joe on Friday, April 28, at 9:15 a.m. ET. 

Various Global Citizen NOWsessions will be livestreamed on Global Citizen’s Instagram,Facebook, and LinkedIn at 3:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 27, and 12:15 p.m. ET on Friday, April 28. See you there! 

What Else Is Happening? 

The pinnacle of the Global Citizen NOW summit will be the annual Global Citizen Prize 2023 award ceremony, on the evening of Thursday April 27. 

Global Citizen Prize will honor four trailblazing activists profoundly impacting their local communities in the areas of climate change, civic space, sexual health and reproductive health, and food security; as well as the recipient of the Cisco Youth Leadership Award, a young person positively impacting the world using technology innovation. Read more about the 2023 Global Citizen Prize winners.

The ceremony, at The Glasshouse in New York City, will be hosted by actress, humanitarian, and Global Citizen Ambassador Nomzamo Mbatha, and feature appearances by Sabrina Dhowre Elba, Chair of Global Citizen's Europe Board of Directors and United Nations IFAD Goodwill Ambassador; Padma Lakshmi, producer, TV host, author, and activist; Bridget Moynahan, Global Citizen Ambassador; and Erna Solberg, Former Prime Minister of Norway; and will feature performances by Natasha Bedingfield, Chloe Flower, and Samara Joy.

Proud partners of Global Citizen Prize 2023 include Cisco, Citi, and P&G. 

Global Citizen Explains

Demand Equity

Global Citizen NOW: Everything to Know & How You Can Get Involved

By Khanyi Mlaba