Scoring a ticket to the third annual Global citizen Festival, held on Central Park’s Great Lawn, involved more than a visit to StubHub. To catch No Doubt sharing the stage with Sting for a performance of “Message in a Bottle” and standout sets by Carrie Underwood, Fun and Alicia Keys (who sang new single “We Are Here” with musicians from Israel and Palestine), the 50,000 attendees had to enter a lottery, with those who engaged in social activism receiving a better chance of gaining entry. “You are now part of the global fight to end extreme poverty, and this is a fight we can win,” President Barack Obama said during a prerecorded segment. And according to Global Poverty Project CEO Hugh Evans, the festival helped commit $2.9 billion to the World Bank’s global $15 billion pledge to provide clean water and improve sanitation. Amid a sea of lighters and cellphones, the event culminated with Jay Z’s two-song finale with Beyoncé, with the rapper shouting, “We’re going to end extreme poverty by 2030! It’s on you, New York City!”
