Beyoncé And Jay-Z, Ed Sheeran To Headline Global Citizen Fest In South Africa Honoring Nelson Mandela

The Dec. 2 concert in Johannesburg is part of events marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of the anti-apartheid leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, organizers announced Monday.

Others headlining the festival include Ed Sheeran, Usher, Pharrell Williams and African artists including Wizkid, Cassper Nyovest and Femi Kuti.

Beyonce and Jay-Z embarked on a global tour last month, and have already grossed nearly $40 million with nine sold-out stadium dates reported to Pollstar, averaging 62,729 tickets per market.

Sheeran, another touring force of nature,  has been on a global trek since March 2017 and has rung up $336,059,483 in box office grosses to date, selling 4,111,496 tickets. 

All three are Global Citizen veterans, appearing at the 2015 edition in New York’s Central Park.

Oprah Winfrey will give a keynote address on the legacy of Mandela, who died in 2013, said the organizers. Other hosts will include Naomi Campbell and actors Forest Whitaker and Tyler Perry.

The Global Citizen movement has a goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030, and its Mandela 100 campaign hopes to bring in $1 billion in new pledges for the world’s poorest people.