Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Announced As Campaign Chairs of Global Citizen's Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World

NEW YORK, Tuesday, April 27, 2021) - International advocacy organization Global Citizen has revealed additions to VAX LIVE: The Concert to Reunite the World, their live event on May 2 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. The event will air and livestream on Saturday, May 8, 2021 on ABC, ABC News Live, CBS, YouTube, iHeartMedia broadcast radio stations and the iHeartRadio App, at 8:00 PM ET/PT, 7:00 PM CT. The concert will also air on FOX at 11:00 PM ET/PT. 

As the first large-scale music event for a COVID-compliant audience composed of fully-vaccinated frontline healthcare and essential workers, VAX LIVE calls for new commitments from governments, the private sector, and philanthropists toward the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide. 

Among today’s line-up additions: 

• Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are serving as Campaign Chairs of VAX LIVE and will be delivering an important global message for vaccine equity during the event. To help ensure equitable access to the vaccine, they’ve also been leading a coordinated drive across the private sector to raise critical funds for the vaccine-sharing program COVAX.

• Global Citizen is proud to announce a special appearance by President Biden, First Lady Dr Biden and Vice President Harris as part of Global Citizen’s partnership with the White House’s “We Can Do This” initiative to increase public confidence in COVID-19 vaccines while reinforcing basic prevention measures, such as mask wearing and social distancing. Additionally, President Macron of France, Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada, and Prime Minister Plenković of Croatia will make appearances.

• Multi-platinum recording artist, actress and producer, Selena Gomez, as host, and musical headliners, Jennifer Lopez, Eddie Vedder, Foo Fighters, J Balvin, and H.E.R. will be joined by Ben Affleck, Chrissy Teigen, David Letterman, Gayle King, Jimmy Kimmel, Nomzamo Mbatha, Olivia Munn, and Sean Penn.

• Cisco announced $5M, the Analog Devices Foundation announced $1M, and The Coca-Cola Foundation announced $500K to support COVAX. Cisco’s $5M contribution to the Gavi COVAX AMC will be matched by a Swiss Foundation who prefers to remain anonymous. These commitments, totaling $11.5 million, will fund the purchase of an estimated 2.3 million vaccine doses for health workers.

• The Vax Live campaign is calling on businesses to donate dollars for doses via COVAX, wealthy governments to share excess doses immediately with COVAX, and for pharmaceutical companies like Moderna to make vaccines available at not-for-profit prices. 

As part of VAX LIVE, Global Citizen is campaigning to support the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) initiative – including COVAX – a vaccine-sharing program co-led by the World Health Organization (WHO), to ensure global equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. During the special, Global Citizen will call on governments asking them to pledge a total of $19 billion, the outstanding balance needed by the ACT-A to get 1.8 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses plus tests and treatments to the world’s poorest countries by the end of 2021. As part of the campaign, Spain announced the donation of an estimated 7.5 million vaccine doses as soon as 50% of the Spanish population is vaccinated. France announced starting the sharing of doses for health workers across Africa with an initial donation of 100,000 this month, and at least 500,000 by June. 

“Over the past year, our world has experienced pain, loss, and struggle—together. Now we need to recover and heal—together. We can’t leave anybody behind. We will all benefit, we will all be safer, when everyone everywhere has equal access to the vaccine. We must pursue equitable vaccine distribution, and in that, restore faith in our common humanity. This mission couldn’t be more critical or important,” said Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Campaign Chairs of Vax Live. 

“As part of the Vax Live campaign, the Government of Spain will facilitate to Latin America and the Caribbean a quantity of vaccines against COVID-19 that corresponds, at least, to between 5% and 10% of the total vaccines that our country receives throughout 2021. I am proud of my country and of the dedication of its people, including public representatives, for showing solidarity in responding to this crisis, that has been so brutal both in Spain and abroad,” said Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez.

“Last autumn, I called for the sharing of the doses ordered by our countries, to ensure both solidarity and health security. This winter I proposed that each country share at least 5% of the doses ordered with the poorest countries. I can already tell you that, as far as France is concerned, this objective will be exceeded by the end of the year. With the European vaccine sharing mechanism via the COVAX initiative that France is inaugurating, we are in concrete solidarity in the fight against the virus, which does not care about borders. Today I call on all my colleagues to join this momentum and make a commitment at Vax Live,” said President of France, Emmanuel Macron. 

Fran Katsoudas, EVP and Chief People, Policy & Purpose Officer of Cisco, said, “At Cisco, our purpose is to power an inclusive future for all, and we know that starts with an inclusive recovery from COVID-19. The private sector has an important role to play in this, and we are proud to make a commitment to COVAX to ensure that health workers and the most vulnerable have fair and equitable access to vaccines.”

"COVAX has helped spur the rapid development of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines. But this extraordinary effort will be for naught, if we don't get vaccines to the people who need them the most. This is the moment for the private sector to step up and support vaccine equity," said Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi the Vaccine Alliance. "Thank you to Cisco for leading the way with a $5 million contribution to the Gavi COVAX AMC, which will be matched dollar for dollar. We hope that this generous contribution will set an example for others from the private sector to pledge at Global Citizen’s Vax Live event on 8th May.”

VAX LIVE: The Concert to Reunite the World will be pre-taped at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on May 2. Airing and live streaming on Saturday, May 8, 2021 on ABC, ABC News Live, CBS, YouTube, iHeartMedia broadcast radio stations and the iHeartRadio App, VAX LIVE will start at 8:00 PM ET/PT, 7:00 PM CT. The concert will also air on FOX at 11:00 PM ET/PT, AXS TV, and will air internationally on Globo in Brazil and Caracol in Colombia, SABC in South Africa and MultiChoice across Africa. As the exclusive global streaming partner, YouTube will stream an extended version of VAX LIVE on the Global Citizen channel for a full run-time of 90 minutes, which will include newly announced exclusive performances from Foo Fighters, Eddie Vedder and J Balvin, alongside previously announced performances and appearances by NCT 127 and Picture This and YouTube creators Daniel El Travieso, Kati Morton, ShootforLove, Thembe Mahlaba and The Try Guys.

“We are proud to partner with an amazing group of selfless frontline heroes, global leaders, civic groups and entertainment superstars to combat the pandemic and support vaccine efforts throughout the world,” said E. Stanley Kroenke, SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park Developer and Owner/Chairman of the Los Angeles Rams. “We are honored that such a meaningful and impactful event – Vax Live – is our first event at SoFi Stadium open to the public. Hundreds of millions around the globe will be watching as we raise awareness and the resources desperately needed to bring communities back together again.”

"We are truly grateful for the time, effort and energy that everyone has given to make VAX LIVE a reality within just a few months. We're thrilled to be hosting Global Citizen's first live event since the pandemic began alongside these incredible artists, entertainers and individuals who are donating their time to support our mission to achieve vaccine equity and build vaccine confidence globally," said Katie Hill, SVP, Head of Music, Entertainment & Artist Relations at Global Citizen. "I’m moved by the enthusiasm of every VAX LIVE participant to play a role in ending the COVID-19 pandemic as we all work together to come back, safely."

VAX LIVE is supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Prime Minister of Italy and G20 Chair Mario Draghi, and President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, Prime Minister of Norway Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez, President of France Emmanuel Macron, and the State of California. 

The VAX LIVE: The Concert to Reunite the World campaign includes policy partners: The World Health Organization (WHO), The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI), Gavi - The Vaccine Alliance, The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, The COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator, The Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) and UNITAID, and philanthropic partners: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the global CEO advisory firm, VAX LIVE and Global Citizen's Recovery Plan for the World are supported by a coalition of Global Partners including: Cisco, Citi, The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, Google, Live Nation, P&G, Verizon, and campaign partner WW International. 

VAX LIVE: The Concert to Reunite the World is executive produced by Global Citizen, the Ad Council & COVID Collaborative, YouTube Originals, iHeartMedia and Live Nation. The VAX LIVE broadcast will be executive produced by Casey Patterson and Casey Patterson Entertainment, and Ken Ehrlich. Producers of VAX LIVE, include: Michele Anthony, for Universal Music Group, Michael Rapino, CEO of Live Nation, John Sykes, President, Entertainment Enterprises at iHeartMedia, Tom Poleman, Chief Programming Officer & President at iHeartMedia, Rob Light, for CAA, Amanda Silverman of The Lede Company, Shawn Sachs & Keleigh Thomas Morgan of Sunshine Sachs, and Diversified Production Services (DPS).

Global Citizen has continued to be at the forefront of the fight to end COVID-19. Last year, together with Lady Gaga, One World: Together: At Home mobilized over $127,9 million in support of healthcare workers in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and during Global Goal: Unite for Our Future, Global Citizen and the European Commission, secured $1.5 billion in cash grants and $5.4 billion in loans as well as the necessary political support to ensure everyone, everywhere would have access to COVID-19 testing, treatments and vaccines.

For more information about VAX LIVE: The Concert to Reunite the World, visit globalcitizen.org/vaxlive and follow @glblctzn on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. 

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ABOUT GLOBAL CITIZEN: 

Global Citizen is the world's largest movement of action takers and impact makers dedicated to ending extreme poverty by 2030. With over 10 million monthly advocates, our voices have the power to drive lasting change around sustainability, equality, and humanity. We post, tweet, message, vote, sign, and call to inspire those who can make things happen to act — government leaders, businesses, philanthropists, artists, and citizens — together improving lives. By downloading our app, Global Citizens learn about the systemic causes of extreme poverty, take action on those issues, and earn rewards with tickets to concerts, events, and experiences all over the world. To date, the actions of our community, along with high-level advocacy efforts and work with partners, has resulted in commitments and policy announcements from leaders valued at $48.4 billion, affecting the lives of more than 880 million people. During last year's Global Citizen hosted campaigns, One World: Together at Home and Global Goal: Unite for Our Future, we mobilized over $1.5 billion in cash grants, with over $1.1 billion being already disbursed. For more information, visit GlobalCitizen.org.

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Media Inquiries: Sunshine Sachs on Behalf of Global Citizen, gc@sunshinesachs.co