The Teskey Brothers, South Summit and Ruby Rodgers Close Global Citizen NOW: Perth, Celebrating Commitments to Bring Clean Energy to 20 Million People

Julia Gillard and Alex Pearce Join an Unforgettable Night of Music, Culture and Storytelling at Perth’s Riverside Theatre

Perth, Australia, 20October, 2026 // Tonight, Riverside Theatre came alive for Global Citizen Nights: Perth as The Teskey Brothers, South Summit and Ruby Rodgers delivered an unforgettable night of soul, rock and storytelling to close the Global Citizen NOW: Perth summit. The night celebrated the leaders, communities and commitments accelerating the global energy transition across the Indo-Pacific and the world.

Headliners and multi-ARIA Award-winning band The Teskey Brothers delivered the much-anticipated finale, filling Riverside Theatre with their signature soulful sound. Their 45-minute set of fan favourites included “Pain and Misery” and “Rain”, before they closed the night with “Hold Me”, sending the crowd home on a high.

Artist and Activist, Ruby Rodgers opened the night with a heartfelt set, including a moving cover of Coldplay’s “Fix You” and her latest single, “I’ll Be In The Sun”, which filled the room with warmth and set an intimate tone before South Summit brought Riverside Theatre to its feet with a high-energy set including “Top of the Hill” and “River Days”.

On stage, Global Citizen Co-Founder Michael Sheldrick shared that the summit had secured commitments to provide 4.8 million households with clean, affordable and reliable electricity, impacting 20 million people. Alex Pearce, Captain of the Fremantle Football Club, wrapped up the past two days and introduced The Teskey Brothers, saying sport has a big voice in Western Australia and a responsibility to use it. “Every person here has earned their ticket by taking action, and that’s pretty special… So my message is simple: keep it going, keep showing up, keep speaking out, and keep making a difference,” he said.

Julia Gillard, 27th Prime Minister of Australia and Chair of Wellcome, joined via video. Fifteen years after speaking at Global Citizen’s first campaign launch in Perth, she called for a clean energy and electrification revolution. She then introduced polio survivor and Global End Polio Advocate Ramesh Ferris, who delivered an inspiring speech on the final push to end polio, a fitting nod to Global Citizen’s 2011 End of Polio campaign in Perth.

The show opened with a stirring Welcome to Country by Mort Hansen, followed by an educational performance by the Aliwah Dancers, of the Aliwah Cultural Enterprise. Sabrina Dhowre Elba, advocate, CEO and Global Citizen Europe Board Chair, welcomed the audience alongside Bruce Reynolds, The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of Perth. She was joined on stage by Kal Glanznig, Co-Founder of Blue Minds, Local Councillor and Director of ‘The Plastic Country’, to recap Global Citizen NOW: Perth, before announcing the winners of the Global Citizen NOW: Perth Bloom Design Challenge, for their student-built aeroponic farm made from recycled materials. Tishiko King, Founder of Just Futures Collab and Ocean Advocate, recapped the summit, called for First Nations voices to stay at the centre of decisions carried to COP31.

Global Citizen NOW: Perth is supported by presenting partner Western Australian Government, major partners Boundless Earth and Minderoo Foundation, and supporting partners Business Events Perth, City of Perth, CrossBoundary Energy, Curtin University, Forrest Research Foundation, Fortescue, Murdoch University, and The University of Western Australia. The summit was the culminating moment of Global Citizen's year-long global clean energy campaign, supported by the movement's international coalition of partners, including Octopus Energy Generation, Pele Energy Group, Enertrag and UBS Optimus Foundation. Global Citizen thanks the coalition of more than 35 civil society organisations who joined the summit to advance equitable access to clean energy, climate resilience and sustainable development.

Global Citizen acknowledges the Whadjuk people of the Nyoongar nation as the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which Global Citizen NOW: Perth and Global Citizen Nights: Perth were held, and we pay respect to Elders past, present and upcoming.

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