Keith Urban has been chosen to join the superstar-studded lineup of 2021’s Global Citizen Live, a 24-hour broadcast aimed at defending the planet, and defeating poverty.
With performances and events filmed across six continents and celebrities from every corner of pop culture, the live-streaming marathon is a fusion of music and activism, back for a second year. And it will once again raise awareness for efforts to end extreme poverty around the world.
Along with Keith Urban, other performers include Adam Lambert, Alessia Cara, Andrea Bocelli, Angélique Kidjo, Billie Eilish, BTS, Burna Boy, Camila Cabello, Christine and the Queens, Coldplay, Davido, Demi Lovato, DJ Snake, Doja Cat, Duran Duran, Ed Sheeran, Femi Kuti, Green Day, H.E.R., Hugh Jackman & Deborra-lee Furness, Lang Lang, Lizzo, Lorde, Metallica, Rag’n’Bone Man, Ricky Martin, Shawn Mendes, The Lumineers, The Weeknd, Tiwa Savage, and Usher, with more to be announced in coming weeks.
According to the Global Citizen Live website, musical performances and live events will be filmed in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North and South America, with the action airing on ABC, ABC News Live, BBC, FX, iHeartRadio, Hulu, YouTube, Twitter, and more. It all takes place on Saturday, September 25, and organizers hope to highlight the damage COVID-19 has done to worldwide efforts to lift people into a better life.
“COVID-19 has drastically reversed the progress toward achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals pushing upwards of 160 million people back into extreme poverty,” says Global Citizen CEO Hugh Evans. “There are now more than 40 million people on the brink of famine. Progress on climate change has halted, as the majority of the Fortune 500 fail to set science-based carbon reduction targets. We must rectify the damage done and hold world leaders and businesses accountable for ensuring that the entire world recovers from this pandemic together. ‘Equitable recovery’ is not an act of charity — it is the only way we can ensure a fighting chance at achieving a sustainable world free from extreme poverty.”