Joe Biden speaking at the 2015 Global Citizen Festival. Photo: The White House, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Central Park’s Great Lawn will host a big concert again this weekend, so Upper West Siders who live near Central Park West should plan for crowds on Saturday.
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The Global Citizen Festival returns to the Great Lawn on Saturday, September 26. Gates open at 2 p.m. and music starts at 4 p.m., according to Global Citizen. The show should end around 10 p.m. Organizers say gates close at about 8 p.m., so anyone who arrives late may not get in.The weather could make things messy, and the festival’s page lists no rain date. A nor’easter is working its way up the coast, and the AccuWeather team at ABC7 expects rain to become more widespread on Saturday as the storm gets closer. Gusts could reach about 35 mph, and the worst of it is expected from later Saturday into Sunday, which would be while the music is still playing. The heaviest rain should fall over coastal New England and eastern Long Island, with less farther west, but some of it could reach New York City on Saturday, according to The Weather Channel.
For now, the show is scheduled to go on rain or shine. Organizers told CBS New York that the city’s Parks Department will make the final call on whether it’s safe to go ahead. Umbrellas are on the festival’s banned list, so anyone going should plan on rain gear they can wear.
Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean are headlining. Their set marks 30 years since the Fugees released “The Score.” The rest of the lineup includes Lenny Kravitz, John Legend, Lainey Wilson, Shaboozey, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, Victoria Monét, YEONJUN, YOSHIKI and an Alicia Keys & Friends set. Hugh Jackman is hosting, and Rachel Brosnahan and Gayle King are scheduled to appear.
Several entrances are on our side of the park. General admission goes through the West Gate at West 72nd Street and Central Park West, and organizers warn the line may stretch south along the avenue. Premium and Global VIP ticket holders enter at West 81st Street and Central Park West, closest to the B/C stop at 81st Street. Ultimate VIP guests use West 85th Street and Central Park West.
The East Gate is at East 72nd Street and Madison Avenue. The only ADA entrance is at East 84th Street and Fifth Avenue, just north of the Met.
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Backpacks aren’t allowed. Clear bags up to 12″ x 12″ x 6″ are OK, and so are small clutches. The banned list also includes chairs, blankets, umbrellas, coolers, alcohol, bikes and scooters, pets other than service animals, and selfie sticks. Tickets are digital only through Ticketmaster. Organizers say to save them to your phone’s wallet ahead of time because there’s no Wi-Fi in the park, and printed tickets won’t scan.Most tickets are handed out through the Global Citizen app. Users earn points by completing advocacy “journeys” and can use them to enter ticket drawings. Another option this year lets users spend 300 points plus a $25 donation to get a ticket right away, while supplies last. That money goes to the City Parks Foundation and to groups serving people experiencing homelessness. Global Citizen has also offered free tickets in exchange for volunteer shifts this week, amNewYork reported.
Some neighbors will be keeping an eye on the grass. After the rain-soaked 2023 festival, the Central Park Conservancy said a third of the Great Lawn was destroyed. Council Member Gale Brewer then asked the city to move the event out of Central Park, as we reported at the time. Global Citizen said then that it pays to repair any damage. The festival has stayed on the Great Lawn every year since.
If you’re not going, you can watch the concert on Global Citizen’s livestream.
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