Stephen Colbert, Hugh Jackman to Host 2015 Global Citizen Festival
Stephen Colbert and Hugh Jackman have announced that they will co-host the 2015 Global Citizen Festival, to take place on the Great Lawn of New York City’s Central Park on September 26th. Joining Colbert and Jackman will be Jackman’s wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, Salma Hayek Pinault, Kerry Washington and Olivia Wilde.
Performers slated to appear at the festival include Pearl Jam, Beyoncé, Coldplay and Ed Sheeran, who, Colbert joked in a video, would be flying back to Hogwarts immediately after the concert to “see his friends Harry and Hermione.”
Colbert began his video announcement with a greeting: “Hello Internet, Stephen Colbert here with an announcement of special interest for any of you out there who live on Earth.”
The new host of the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, sitting in his office in New York City, was then joined, via FaceTime, by Jackman, from his home in Australia.
Colbert and Jackman, along with the rest of the hosts, will encourage fans and friends to get involved with the Global Citizen movement and help end extreme poverty by 2030. “All the world leaders are going to be there…plus Pearl Jam!” Colbert said, prompting Jackman to reply, “I get to realize my lifelong dream of dancing in the mosh pit with Ban Ki-moon. It’s gonna be awesome.”
Colbert ended the video by promising that, on September 26th, he and Jackman would “make the world stronger than adamantium bones!,” a reference to the Australian actor’s Wolverine character.
As with previous years, tickets to the concert are free to people who visit Global Citizen’s website and earn their admission through “action.” Organizers are asking fans to call the U.S. State Department to urge them to allocate 50 percent of U.S. foreign aid budget for the eradication of extreme poverty. After carrying out a number of “actions,” a fan then would “win” a ticket. Those who cannot attend the show will be able to stream it live on TV and on MSNBC’s website, as well as on YouTube.
Since the first Global Citizen Festival in 2012, people have taken more than 3 million actions to fight extreme poverty, according to the organization. These have led to a reported 87 commitments and policy announcements, including $18.3 billion in cash commitments.
Global Citizen announced in February that Chris Martin would produce and curate the festival through 2030. Past performers at the festival have included Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Foo Fighters, the Black Keys, Sting and John Legend. Last year’s installment featured performances by Jay Z, No Doubt and Tiësto.