{"id":357060,"date":"2026-09-25T21:14:09","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T21:14:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/357060\/"},"modified":"2026-09-25T21:14:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T21:14:09","slug":"global-citizen-festival-canceled-as-powerful-noreaster-expected-to-slam-nyc-through-the-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/357060\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Citizen Festival canceled as powerful nor’easter expected to slam NYC through the weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"

The annual Global Citizen Festival in Central Park was cancelled Friday \u2014 for the first time in 14 years \u2014 after being threatened by a powerful nor\u2019easter<\/a> expected to slam parts of New York City over the weekend, organizers said.<\/p>\n

The star-studded fundraising concert, which was scheduled to be held on the park\u2019s Great Lawn on Saturday, was canned after being on a collision course with the strong storm touching down Friday night<\/a>, Global Citizen reps said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have spent this week working through countless contingencies, which were ultimately not possible, and cancelling is a decision we have not taken lightly,\u201d Global Citizen, a non-profit that aims to end extreme poverty, said in a statement.<\/p>\n

\"AThe annual Global Citizen Festival in Central Park was cancelled Friday after being threatened by a powerful nor\u2019easter expected to slam parts of New York City over the weekend. Getty Images for Global Citizen<\/p>\n

Dear Global Citizens,<\/p>\n

Due to the extreme weather forecast for New York City this weekend, we have made the difficult decision, in consultation with the City of New York and NYC Parks,
to cancel this year\u2019s Global Citizen Festival.<\/p>\n

Forecasts predict dangerous conditions and\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/fza9anxU4l<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Global Citizen \u2b55 (@GlblCtzn) September 25, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Tickets \u2013 which ranged from $89 for general admission to a whopping $3,000 for the \u201cUltimate VIP\u201d experience, according to CBS News<\/a> \u2013 will be refunded, and food expected to be served at the event will be donated, organizers said.<\/p>\n

Festival goers will be refunded for their tickets, and food expected to be served at the event will be donated, organizers said.<\/p>\n

The event \u2013 which was supposed to be hosted by actor Hugh Jackman and feature performances by acts including Lauryn Hill & Wyclef Jean \u2013 was expected to contend with high winds, powerful rain and possibly even coastal flooding from the storm forecast to hit Friday night and to get gradually worse on Saturday, according to meteorologists.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s unclear if the festival will be rescheduled for this year, but in a statement Global Citizen said \u201c[w]e will be back in Central Park next year. We can\u2019t wait for you to be there with us.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Concerns about the safety of concert attendees, festival staff and artists drove the decision to cancel, according to the organizers.<\/p>\n

Global Citizen said the \u201cdifficult\u201d decision not to hold the concert followed discussions with city government and the Parks Department.<\/p>\n

Historically, the fundraiser has still gone on in the past despite rain \u2013 often to mixed success.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Follow live updates on the powerful nor\u2019easter set to bring dangerous winds, flooding to the East Coast<\/p>\n

Particularly poor weather conditions have muddied up the festival grounds in the past, turning the park\u2019s Great Lawn into a soddy mess.<\/p>\n

Most infamously, a heavy storm that rolled through during the concert\u2019s 2023 performance made the park\u2019s lawn unusable<\/a> for two months \u2013 and saw the festival\u2019s board of directors footing the $622,000 in damages from the weather.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"SatelliteResidents in New Jersey and Long Island should expect \u201cwidespread\u201d power outages, Fox Weather warns. NOAA\/GOES\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Councilwoman Gale Brewer (D-Manhattan) has long argued that the concert should be relocated out of her district to nearby Randall\u2019s Island.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cRandall\u2019s Island has more parking, has a stage already, it can fit 60,000 people,\u201d Brewer told ABC 7.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

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