Shakira and The Weeknd are going to headline the upcoming Global Citizen Festival in September. The organization announced its 2025 lineup for its annual benefit concert "to unite the world to defend the planet and defeat poverty." Big-name artists will be taking the stage at Central Park's Great Lawn in New York on Saturday, September 27, 2025.Hosting Global Citizen 2025 will be the organization's ambassador, actor Hugh Jackman. As for the performers, Shakira and The Weeknd will be joined by a slew of other musical artists. So far, the list includes Tyla, Mariah the Scientist, and Ayra Starr, but additional participants are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThe new Global Citizen Festival lineup continues the festival's history of bringing some of the biggest and trending names in the music scene. Previous performers include RAYE, Post Malone, Benson Boone, Doja Cat, and Jelly Roll. Coldplay's Chris Martin also made a special appearance during last year's festival.Shakira is currently in the middle of the North American leg of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran tour, and her headlining set for the Global Citizen Festival will be back-to-back with her concert in Cali, Colombia. Meanwhile, The Weeknd is also currently on the road for his After Hours Til Dawn stadium tour, but it's expected to wrap up on September 3, 2025, in San Antonio.Shakira "can't wait to perform" at this year's Global Citizen Festival, and more details about the eventIn the press release announcing the 2025 Global Citizen Festival lineup, Shakira expressed her excitement about headlining this year's benefit concert, especially considering the event's goals. She said:"I'm honored to headline the incredible Global Citizen Festival in Central Park this September. Music has always been my way of connecting with people and leaving a mark on the world. I can't wait to perform, unite, and inspire action." View this post on Instagram Instagram PostMeanwhile, Hugh Jackman will be hosting the benefit concert for the 11th time this year. He talked about the growing impact of the organization in the press release. He shared his eagerness to advocate for what the event stands for alongside his fellow ambassadors, world leaders, the private sector, and this year's performers. He also shared the purpose of such an initiative and advocacy, saying:"To leave the world better than we found it."According to CBS News, the Global Citizen Festival 2025 has three goals in mind. The first goal is to provide energy access to a million people in Africa, and they also aim to provide access to education for at least 30,000 kids worldwide.The third goal for this year's event, per the outlet, is to raise $200 million to help protect over 74 acres of rainforest in the Amazon, which is reportedly as big as Italy.The festival is expected to kick off rain or shine, with the gates open on September 27, 2025, at 2:00 pm local time. The concert will start two hours later at 4:00 pm, and it's expected to run until 10:00 pm.Streaming details for the Global Citizen Festival 2025 will be released in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for ways to watch the festival at home.