The Weeknd Bails On Global Citizen

The Weekend on May 9, 2025, in Glendale, Az. (photo: Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for Live Nation).

The Weeknd has dropped out of his planned headlining slot at the Global Citizen Festival on Saturday (Sept. 27) in New York’s Central Park and will be replaced on the bill by Cardi B.

“I regret to share that, due to personal reasons, I am unable to perform at Global Citizen,” the Weeknd (real name: Abel Tesfaye) said in a statement. “Thank you to my fans for taking action with them, as I believe in their mission deeply. Thank you for your understanding and support.”

“Central Park, I’m coming for you!!!,” Cardi B added. “I can’t wait to be home in New York, and to bring my new songs and all the DRAMA to the Global Citizen festival. This one’s not like other music festivals — this one is about coming together to help children around the world, and I’m so proud to support such an important cause.”

Hosted by Hugh Jackman, Global Citizen will also feature performances from Shakira, Tyla, Mariah the Scientist, Camilo and Elyanna and will be carried on YouTube, Amazon Music, Apple Music and iHeartRadio.

The event was the subject of significant controversy when Central Park’s Great Lawn was heavily damaged during its rain-marred 2023 edition, after which Global Citizen paid millions of dollars to restore the grass. At the time, several local politicians called for the festival to be moved to a stadium or arena in the interest of preserving the park’s green space.