Global Citizen Festival was set for Saturday on Central Park’s Great Lawn. Organizers said they canceled after consulting New York City and NYC Parks, with the forecast making it unsafe to bring tens of thousands of people and the production equipment onto the site. The nonprofit said this is the first cancellation in the festival’s 14-year history.
Last year’s Global Citizen Festival brought a full day of music to Central Park:
GLOBAL CITIZEN FESTIVAL CANCELLED
Dear Global Citizens,
Due to the extreme weather forecast for New York City this weekend, we have made the difficult decision, in consultation with the City of New York and NYC Parks, to cancel this year’s Global Citizen Festival.
Forecasts predict dangerous conditions and circumstances in which we cannot safely bring tens of thousands of Global Citizens, artists, crew, vendors, partners, and staff onto the Great Lawn, let alone all of the equipment required. Safety has to come first. This is the first time in 14 years we’ve had to cancel. We have spent this week working through countless contingencies, which were ultimately not possible, and cancelling is a decision we have not taken lightly.
Over the last six weeks, Global Citizens took 3.5 million actions that secured $208.8 million in financial commitments, which will impact more than 9.5 million people. These commitments will:
Help more than 2 million children access education and stay in school.
Support 7.5 million people, including smallholder farmers, women, youth, and Indigenous communities.
Major commitments include:
Ireland and Canada committed $151.6 million to help children get in and stay in school.
Burundi, Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Guinea, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, and Zimbabwe, the Minderoo Foundation, and the Green Climate Fund will support small farming businesses.
If you purchased tickets to the Festival, your refunds will be processed automatically. If you made a donation to secure your ticket, you can have this refunded, too. You will receive an email today that lays out your options.
The Festival is one day, but the actions you took and the impact you created will reach far beyond Central Park. Conflict, extreme weather, and rising costs are forcing millions of families from their homes, disrupting education, threatening food supplies and pushing communities back into extreme poverty, but we have seen what is possible when we take action together.
Ed Sheeran’s two LOOP Tour concerts at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, were scheduled for Friday and Saturday. Stadium and tour management canceled both dates with public safety officials, citing the weather threat and the safety of fans, staff and everyone working the shows.
Ticketmaster customers will receive automatic refunds; other ticket buyers should contact their original point of purchase. Forecasters warned of heavy rain and strong winds as the nor’easter moved through New England.
AC/DC’s Power Up Tour stop at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, was scheduled for Friday, with The Pretty Reckless set to open. The concert has been postponed to October 2. Reporter Steven Bognar posted as the cancellation was unfolding; the date was later moved. NJ Arts confirmed the new date.
All Things Go canceled its New York City festival at Forest Hills Stadium, scheduled for September 25–27. Organizers said they made the decision after consulting local officials, the stadium and weather advisers, with high winds and severe conditions expected across the metro area. They said AXS purchases made online or by phone will be refunded within 30 business days; other ticket buyers should contact their point of purchase.
