The 2026 Global Citizen Festival, scheduled to take place at Central Park’s Great Lawn in New York City on Saturday, September 26, has been cancelled because of a powerful nor’easter expected to bring heavy rain, strong winds and other hazardous conditions to the region. The decision marks the first cancellation of the major annual festival in 14 years.
Organisers announced the cancellation on Friday after consulting with New York City authorities and the NYC Parks Department. They said weather forecasts indicated conditions that would make it unsafe to accommodate tens of thousands of festival-goers, performers, crew members, vendors and other personnel at the open-air venue.
The festival was expected to draw a large crowd to Central Park and featured an extensive lineup of international music stars. Among the artists scheduled to perform were Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, Lenny Kravitz, John Legend, Lainey Wilson, Shaboozey and K-pop group Tomorrow X Together. Hugh Jackman was also scheduled to host the event, while Gayle King and actor Rachel Brosnahan were expected to make appearances.
In its statement, Global Citizen said it had spent the week examining possible alternatives and contingencies but ultimately could not identify a safe arrangement for holding the festival. The organisation said the combination of strong winds and heavy rain posed risks not only to people but also to the extensive equipment and infrastructure required for the event.
The weather threat was particularly significant because of the vulnerability of the Great Lawn. The Central Park venue suffered substantial damage during the 2023 edition of the Global Citizen Festival, which went ahead amid torrential rain associated with Tropical Storm Ophelia. The damage forced the lawn to remain closed for an extended period. The previous experience added to concerns about allowing another major outdoor gathering to proceed during severe weather.
The nor’easter was expected to affect a broad stretch of the US East Coast, with forecasts warning of heavy rainfall, powerful wind gusts, flooding and dangerous coastal conditions. New York and New Jersey declared states of emergency in areas expected to experience the strongest impacts. Officials also warned that the storm could disrupt travel and cause power outages.
The cancellation also affected several other major outdoor entertainment events in the region. The New York edition of All Things Go was cancelled, while other concerts and festivals across the Northeast were also called off because of the deteriorating weather forecast. The cancellations came as authorities prepared for potentially disruptive conditions through the weekend.
Despite the cancellation, Global Citizen said its wider campaign had generated significant commitments during the weeks leading up to the festival. According to the organisation, participants took 3.5 million actions over the previous six weeks, helping secure $208.8 million in financial commitments expected to benefit more than 9.5 million people. The commitments include funding aimed at helping more than two million children access education and remain in school, as well as support for millions of people, including farmers, women, young people and indigenous communities.
The organisation said people who purchased tickets would receive automatic refunds. Those who made donations to obtain tickets would also be given an option to have their contributions refunded. Food that had been planned for distribution at the festival will instead be donated to local organisations serving people in New York City.
Global Citizen also expressed appreciation to the artists, volunteers, partners, staff and attendees who had planned to participate in the event. While the 2026 concert will not take place, organisers said the cancellation would not end the annual tradition, confirming that the festival is expected to return to Central Park next year.
