The organisation behind the Global Citizen Festival has an event planned for our city: Global Citizen Live London, with Emeli Sandé, Professor Green, Naughty Boy and Gabrielle Aplin headlining.

Global Citizen has been running since 2012 and last year its festival took over New York’s Central Park with big names such as Stevie Wonder and Green Day.

The London event is planned for O2 Academy Brixton, and organisers are promising free tickets for those prepared to take part in some political activism.

To secure entry, Global Citizen is asking people to stand up to world leaders by signing online petitions, tweeting about specific causes and emailing world leaders urging them to make commitments to specific campaigns. The event is on April 17, the same week as the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London and Windsor.

Those who want to get involved can sign up to call for action on ‘Global Goals’ as determined by 190 UN member states, pushing to make changes in gender equality, education, eradication of polio and poor vision – a campaign that demands Commonwealth leaders to help ensure clear vision for the 2.5 billion people without access to adequate optical care.

Previous Global Citizen events have also hosted speakers such as Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Michelle Obama and Justin Trudeau.

Signing up doesn’t guarantee a ticket to Global Citizen Live London, but it puts your name in the draw, with 80 percent of tickets put aside for those who take part in online activism. Or if you’re quick you could just, y’know, pay for one of the remaining tickets (£29.40-£57.50).

Want to take part? Sign up on the Global Citizen website.

In other music news: check out the sweet line-up for this year’s Robert Smith-curated Meltdown festival.

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