Billie Eilish, BTS, Elton John unite to raise awareness for climate change, vaccine equity

The Global Citizen Live is a round-the-world event to raise awareness on pertinent subjects and will see a lot of star power lending its heft

By AFPRelaxnews

Published: Sep 25, 2021 07:43:49 AM IST

Updated: Nov 5, 2021 06:06:21 PM IST

US singer-songwriter Billie Eilish arriving for the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards at Barclays Center in Brooklyn

Image: Angela Weiss / AFP

From Billie Eilish in New York to BTS in Seoul and Elton John in Paris, some of the biggest names in pop are uniting their star power for Global Citizen Live on Saturday, a round-the-world event to raise awareness on climate change, vaccine equality and famine.

Concerts taking place in London, Lagos, Rio, Sydney, Mumbai and more will be broadcast globally for the event, scheduled to coincide with the UN General Assembly this week.

The star-studded line-up will also push for action at the G20 next month and COP26 climate meeting in November.

Eilish, Coldplay and Jennifer Lopez will perform in New York's Central Park, where Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will also be on stage.

Stevie Wonder will play in Los Angeles, while Ed Sheeran will headline in Paris alongside Elton John, Black Eyed Peas and Stormzy.

And there will be pre-recorded performances from BTS in South Korea, DJ superstar Alok in Rio, Kylie Minogue in London and Andrea Bocelli in Tuscany.

"Across six continents, artists will help rally citizens in demanding that governments, major corporations and philanthropists work together to defend the planet and defeat poverty," NGO Global Citizen said in a statement.

It said it was focusing "on the most urgent, interrelated threats hitting those in poverty the hardest—climate change, vaccine equity, and famine".

A slew of other artists—including Metallica and The Weeknd—are also involved, either through live or filmed performances.

Global Citizen said it wants one billion trees planted, one billion vaccines delivered to the poorest countries and meals for 41 million people on the brink of famine.

The organisation has been behind other high-profile charity events, including "Vax Live: The Concert To Reunite The World" earlier this year in Los Angeles.

That brought together musicians, actors, celebrities, world leaders and even the pope, in a united call for global vaccinations to fight Covid-19.

Global Citizen describes itself as a movement with a mission to end extreme poverty by 2030.

Its app uses incentives such as concert tickets to encourage users into pressuring governments on issues around sustainability and equality.

The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Ghebreyesus, lent his support to the latest campaign, urging vaccine equality.

"We now face a two-track pandemic of haves and have-nots," he said.

"We cannot disregard this gross inequity or become complacent."