NEW YORK CITY (WABC) — Thousands of people are expected to gather on the Great Lawn in Central Park this weekend for the Global Citizen Festival, a fundraising concert aimed at fighting world poverty and hunger. But forecasts calling for heavy rain and wind have renewed concerns about potential damage to the lawn.
The stage was nearly set up on the Great Lawn ahead of Saturday’s event. Organizers are hoping this year’s weather does not mirror recent years, when rain has become a familiar part of the festival.
The event was affected by significant rainfall in two of the past three years. In 2023, a storm moved through during the concert, and heavy foot traffic left parts of the lawn heavily damaged. The area was closed for repairs that took two months.
Global Citizen covered the cost of those repairs and has said it will do so again if necessary.
No one from the organization was available for comment. In a statement, Global Citizen said it is working with city agencies to monitor the weather and prepare for every scenario.
Critics continue to argue that the festival should not be held on the Great Lawn and have suggested Randall’s Island as a better location.
“Randall’s Island has more parking, has a stage already, it can fit 60,000 people,” said Gale Brewer, a New York City councilperson.
Brewer, whose district includes the area, wrote a letter to Mayor Mamdani arguing that, beyond wear and tear on the lawn, the space is off-limits for six days before the concert and remains closed until the setup is removed.
“It can not be out of service for these two weeks,” Brewer said.
The Central Park Conservancy told Eyewitness News that it trusts the city to make the appropriate decision regarding the event.
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