Global Citizen Ticket Drive
Rock groups band together to give away tickets in return for social activism.
A slew of rock and pop acts have decided to fight world hunger, through offering tickets to fans who help promote social activism and raise money for charity. For the next three years, the bands and artists will donate two tickets to every show they play over a three year period.
Rock artists involved in the project so far include Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen, Black Sabbath and Neil Young.
Entitled the Global Citizen Tickets Initiative, fans earn points for raising awareness of poverty, and after reaching between 10 and 20 points they will be entered into a lottery to win tickets, with their accounts being managed on the Global Citizen website. Sharing a video to help raise awareness on Facebook will earn a single point, while raising $20 or more for a participating charity will earn you twenty.
The idea was conceived by Kelly Curtis, Pearl Jam's manager, and Hugh Evans, chief executive of the global Poverty Project. The concept was to take something artists have in abundance (tickets) and use that to help raise money and awareness.
"I'm hit up every day for something, whether it's to play or donate a song or give money," says Curtis. "I just thought, 'What would accomplish a lot that wouldn't require time or anything – what if everyone gave a show?' You're talking about social activism in a really great way."
Tickets are taken from each concert headliners personal collection, so they are guaranteed a great seat.