Play it Out to Phase it Out!

The festival which was hailed a ‘major success’ captivated thousands of viewers all over the world, who watched the event live on various social media platforms. As the night progressed, the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Grounds became filled with supporters & persons eager to watch as renowned international, regional and local artistes as well as high ranking government & United Nations (UN) officials, along with major advocates from around the world stood in solidarity to support ending plastic pollution.

Among the performers were actress and singer, Ashanti; soca legend Machel Montano; Grammy nominated German DJ/producer, Robin Schulz; Norwegian R&B duo, Nico and Vinz; reggae artist Rocky  Dawuni from Ghana; the Colombian band, Bomba Estéreo; and Australian singer & UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador, Cody Simpson.

The concert was organized by the President of the General Assembly along with the Governments of Antigua & Barbuda, & Norway, as well as UN Environment, UNOPS, the Krimm Group (TKG) & Lonely Whale's Adrian Grenier. In his address, Antigua & Barbuda’s Prime Minister, Gaston Browne called on other Caribbean leaders to follow Antigua’s lead in banning single-use plastics from the region. He said,

“Antigua & Barbuda will continue to lead by example in our responsibility to protect the environment, therefore I am urgently calling on all Caribbean leaders to join me in declaring an end to plastic litter & micro-plastic pollution in the Caribbean Sea.”

The festival is part of a broader campaign led by the President of General Assembly, who earlier this year launched a global call to action on plastic pollution, as well as an initiative to ban single use plastics at UNHQ. The campaign focuses on phasing out the use of single-use plastics & aims to raise awareness of the impact of plastics on the environment & human health.