Afrobeats will take another bold jump onto the global stage in September when Nigerian icon Ayra Starr opens for The Weeknd and Shakira at the 2025 Global Citizen Festival in New York City. The sound produced in Lagos’ studios and streets has already topped charts globally. Now, it will echo through the Central Park Great Lawn on one of the most watched and influential stages on the planet’s music map.
The Saturday, September 27, festival is renowned for being more than a music concert. Global Citizen has established itself as a platform that brings music and activism together, rallying masses and global influencers to address pressing matters. This year’s campaign will ensure energy access for one million Africans, educate 30,000 children in partnership with FIFA, and protect 30 million hectares of the Amazonian rainforest. The organisers hope to get more than $200 million in pledges to make it happen, amplifying the event as ambitious as it is enjoyable.
For Ayra Starr, the experience will mark a fresh start in her rapidly emerging career. Already at only 22 years old, she has graduated from uploading covers on social media to becoming one of the brightest international voices in Afrobeats. With singles like “Rush” and “Commas,” she has been commanding a new generation’s ears, translating the Lagos sound into playlists and stadiums around the world. Her drop with two of music’s biggest stars encapsulates Afrobeats’ arrival as a leading influence on today’s music.
She will be accompanied on the bill by Grammy-winning South African singer Tyla and US R&B artist Mariah the Scientist, further opening up and enhancing the roster. Combining Afrobeats, Latin pop, R&B, and global chart toppers, there is an evening ahead that brings together cultures and styles, capturing the festival’s atmosphere of togetherness. For the majority present, it will be the chance to see their favourite stars. For the artists, it will be an opportunity to link their music to a call for real change.
Veteran festival presenter Hugh Jackman, who hosted the event years ago, will return to present the concert, provoking the crowds as much as it honours the music. Free tickets to the concert will still be available, but they will be won through the Global Citizen app or website, where fans can sign petitions, leave messages, or donate to campaigns that support the festival’s purpose. A limited number of VIP tickets will also be available for sale.
The concert is being presented by Done+Dusted and Diversified Production Services, in partnership with Cisco, along with essential partners like Delta, PayPal, Procter & Gamble, and Authentic Brands Group. Together, they are dedicated to offering not just a night of music but a global moment that fuels awareness and action long after the final performance.
For Ayra Starr’s supporters, her upcoming show is more than just a concert; it’s an experience. It is the genre’s further rise into the very centre of mainstream culture, where African musicians are no longer the guest stars but the headliners in their own right. As the world puts Central Park in its spotlight this September, Afrobeats will not only be heard — it will be celebrated on a platform where music and activism intersect.
