The night of November 1, 2025 in Belem brought together 50,000 attendees for Global Citizen Festival: Amazonia. As the crowd filled the venue and the stage lights cut through the warm night air, the festival marked the culmination of the yearlong Protect theAmazon campaign, which aimed to mobilize $1 billion in commitments to support conservation and restoration efforts across the Amazon rainforest.
The campaign brought together partners focused on forest conservation and community-based development across the region. “The Amazon isn’t just trees, it’s people, culture, and innovation. From Indigenous entrepreneurs producing sustainable ingredients like tucumã butter to local startups creating green jobs, these communities are showing the world what climate action truly looks like,” said Michael Sheldrick, aco-founder of Global Citizen, in an interview with Veja.
Over the past year, Global Citizen reports that supporters took 4.4 million actions tied to the campaign’s goals, with an estimated 18 million people expected to benefit from related programs. Banco do Brasil supported the campaign from the beginning and backed the first Global Citizen Festival held in Latin America. Onstage and in the audience were national and regional leaders, alongside representatives from Indigenous, Quilombola, riverine, and urban communities across the Amazon region, all living with the day-to-day realities of climate and environmental pressures.
The festival brought together artists and speakers from across the Amazon and Brazil, including performers whose work engages with environmental themes. The lineup included Djuena Tikuna, Kaê Guajajara, Arraial do Pavulagem, and Eric Terena, aligning with Global Citizen’s aim to create a platform for artists and cultural voices from the region.
Latin Grammy winner Gaby Amarantos took the stage in her hometown with rock doido, a “crazy rock” rhythm rooted in the state of Pará, introducing audiences to the energy of tecnobrega. “When it’s about the Amazon, my culture, it’s personal for me,” she said. The festival also featured Charlie Puth, Gilberto Gil, Chris Martin of Coldplay, and Seu Jorge, and closed with Anitta sharing a message about the importance of Indigenous peoples and environmental preservation.
Organizers also worked to broaden access to attend. Global Citizen partnered with a network of regional organizations to distribute tickets directly to Indigenous peoples, local communities, and young people from across the Amazon region, including Usinas da Paz, SEPI (Secretary of Indigenous Peoples of Pará), Mídia Indígena, COP das Baixadas, and REPAM (Rede Eclesial Pan-Amazônica).
Banco do Brasil announced a new $185 million commitment, to be distributed through the end of 2026, as part of its broader strategy to promote sustainable development in the Amazon region. The bank also set a longer-term goal of investing $1 billion in Amazonian communities and conservation efforts by 2030.
In an inspiring speech, the president of Banco do Brasil, Tarciana Medeiros, said that the Amazon is not just a forest that breathes for all of us, but also the home of “people who protect, produce, and resist. People who understand that a standing forest is much more than a symbol. It is a life project.” Meideros was born in Brazil’s Northeast region, in the city of Campina Grande, Paraíba, coming from a humble family and starting to work early as a street vendor before becoming a teacher. She is the first woman to serve as President of Banco do Brasil.
“I come from a deep Brazil, from a simple family that learned early on the value of studying, working, and having hope in community,” Tarciana reaffirmed.
In remarks delivered during the event, Banco do Brasil president Tarciana Medeiros spoke about the Amazon as both a global ecosystem and a home, referencing the regional expression floresta em pé, which emphasizes the value of a standing forest. Born in Santarém, Pará, Medeiros also spoke about her personal connection to the region and the role of investment and practical action in supporting long-term outcomes for communities and the forest.
Banco do Brasil also highlighted earlier announcements made during Global CitizenNOW: Amazonia in July in Belém. There, Paula Sayão, chief marketing and communication officer, and Gabriel Santamaria, head of sustainability, joined Global Citizen co-founder Michael Sheldrick on stage to share plans to expand financing for Amazon-related initiatives, including green credit lines and support for low-carbon projects, in partnership with local communities.
Global Citizen NOW is a Global Citizen summit that convenes leaders from government, business, and civil society alongside artists and creators to discuss and advance commitments related to poverty and sustainability. Organizers say the work will continue beyond the festival, with a focus on follow-through and implementation.
Belém was the setting, but the impact reached far beyond a single night. By the end of the campaign, Global Citizen Festival: Amazonia helped mobilize more than $1 billion in commitments, marking a significant moment for efforts focused on conservation and community-based development across the Amazon.
What comes next is delivery. Turning commitments into action will depend on how funding is deployed and how initiatives are implemented over time. With resources now pledged and timelines in place, the focus shifts from mobilization to follow-through. For the communities that live on the Amazon and for the forest itself in long-term outcomes on the ground.