It would be an understatement to say that our planet is a bit of a mess right now.

Almost every passing year ends up ranking among the warmest on record. The current extinction rate is hundreds of times higher than the natural baseline. Nearly ten percent of the world’s population is living in extreme poverty. And to top it all off, we are in the middle of an unprecedented pandemic that has claimed over four-and-a-half million lives around the globe.

Things, basically, aren’t going too well here on planet Earth.

Thankfully, though, there are humans among us who are trying to change all that. These exponents include the advocacy organizationGlobal Citizen, an international forum that aims to raise awareness of issues like global poverty and climate change. Among their efforts is an annual music festival that sees some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry take the stage and raise their voices for what they believe in.

After a year’s gap because of the scourge that is Covid-19, the festival returned this year with its most ambitious iteration: a 24-hour live gig featuring more than 60 artists performing in various locations scattered across six continents on the 25^th and 26^th of September. And for the most part, it was a commendable effort.

When the music was live, the event – which was being broadcast on various networks and channels, including YouTube – made for both enjoyable and inspiring viewing, with several of the artists and bands performing for the first time in months. (In attendance for the live shows were people who had been randomly selected for free tickets after signing up for the Global Citizen app and sharing its petitions on social media.)

The live festivities kicked off in Paris, with Elton John revisiting hits like ‘Tiny Dancer’, ‘Your Song’, and ‘Rocket Man’, before the show took us on a trip around the globe, giving us music from some of the most well-known voices in the industry, spanning all genres and generations.The ridiculously impressive roster included the likes of Coldplay, Paul Simon, Billie Eilish, Lizzo, JLo, Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes, and Alessia Cara in New York City; 5 Seconds of Summer, Demi Lovato, Adam Lambert, The Lumineers, and Stevie Wonder in Los Angeles; Duran Duran and Kylie Minogue in London; and Ed Sheeran, Black Eyed Peas, Christine and the Queens, and Doja Catin Paris; among many, many others.

The gigs in each location were a burst of rousing energy. The artists performed; they voiced their support for the Global Citizen causes; they reminded us what was at stake. It was generally the right mix of inspiring and entertaining. Plus getting to hear from an eclectic mix of artists from around the globe – from Africato South America – was a joy for any music lover.

But across the entire day, not all performances were actually taking place live, and that’s where things got a little less impressive. Several pre-recorded sets – from the likes of Lorde, Green Day, the reunited Fugees, and fan-favourites BTS, among others – were scattered across the day. It is understandable that the segments were pre-taped out of necessity, but that is still not really in keeping with the spirit of what is advertised as a 24 hour global live fest.There were also some moments of lull as content repeated itself and things started losing steam. (And if social media is to be believed, apparently some of the performances were airing in different order on some networks, which is odd for a show that aims to unite the world but instead leaves fans wondering why they didn’t get a second song by BTS or why they still haven’t heard from Delta Goodrem.)

The day, however, did remain, fitfully inspiring on the whole. The concert was a step for Global Citizen to highlight its lofty goals: the organization wants one billion trees to be planted, one billion vaccines to be delivered to the poorest countries, and meals donated to 41 million people who are on the brink of famine. Between the performances, viewers got to hear stories from young activists who are on the frontlines of the climate and hunger crises, while organizations and governments pledged their support and cash for the causes.

It may not have been perfect – and it may have left you with the sense that perhaps either better arrangement and management or a slightly less ambitious approach would have yielded slightly more effective results – but Global Citizen Live did a fair job of highlighting issues that we all seriously need to pay more attention to before it’s too late.