Would You Rather: The Pope Or Beyonce And Pearl Jam?
By Michael Cerio
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Pope is coming to Philadelphia, and for many it's sure to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. For others though that reside in the city, it's a call to flee.
The crush of people and the swell of that weekend's population has left some looking for plans elsewhere for the last weekend of September.
As you scurry to bunk with friends in the burbs or consider a tropical getaway, take a moment to consider Beyonce.
That's right, Beyonce.
If you can't scrape together the cash for her Made In America show on the Parkway and can't stand the thought of a sea of strangers on your doorstep, you might consider seeing her for free that weekend in New York City.
On September 26th as Pope Francis tours Philadelphia, the Global Citizen Festival will take place in Central Park. The free concert will be headlined by Queen Bey, with a few opening acts you may have heard of before. Pearl Jam, Coldplay, and Ed Sheeran will also play.
"We love the Global Citizen movement and we love opening for Beyoncé so this ticks both boxes," says Coldplay frontman and conscious uncoupler Chris Martin.
The show will also mark the first performance of Pearl Jam for 2015.
But wait, what kind of jerk would you be if you skipped out on all the holiness of The Pope to hear "Betterman" for free in New York City?
Don't worry. The concert is organized by the Global Poverty Project, to bring attention to worldwide poverty. In fact, to get your free tickets you must pledge to "take action" against poverty. These actions will enter you into a lottery for tickets to the concert.
It's another idea to consider as you plan around Philadelphia's papal visit. Or, you can wait and hope Pope Francis covers "Singles Ladies" during his visit.
Get involved by going to globalcitizen.org (https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/festival/2015/)
