YOSHIKI, the drummer, pianist, and leader of X JAPAN, has announced he will perform the band’s signature ballad “Endless Rain” at the 2026 Global Citizen Festival, set to take place on the Great Lawn of New York’s Central Park on September 26 (local time).
The lineup for this year’s festival includes Alicia Keys, Ms. Lauryn Hill & Wyclef Jean, Lenny Kravitz, John Legend, Victoria Monét, and TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s Yeonjun, with special appearances by actor Bill Nighy and comedian Naomi Watanabe. Actor Hugh Jackman will host the event. Global Citizen is an international movement and organization dedicated to ending extreme poverty, and this year’s festival is tied to goals of creating school access for two million children, supporting 1.5 million smallholder farmers, and providing electricity to 2.5 million households. Tickets are largely free, distributed through a lottery system tied to actions completed in the Global Citizen app, and the show will be livestreamed on Amazon Music, Apple Music, iHeartRadio, TikTok, Veeps, and YouTube.
In a statement, YOSHIKI reflected on performing alongside Western rock legends who “built the history of music worldwide,” adding that Asian rock carries its own strength, spirit, and beauty that he is honored to help introduce to a global audience. He said his set will blend classical elegance with rock energy, and specifically invited the crowd to sing along to “Endless Rain,” calling for a moment that is “emotional, powerful, and unforgettable.”
Who is YOSHIKI?
YOSHIKI is the founder, drummer, and pianist of X JAPAN, one of the most influential rock bands in Japanese music history, credited with pioneering the visual kei movement that blends elaborate makeup and fashion with hard rock and orchestral arrangements. “Endless Rain,” originally released in 1989, remains one of the band’s most beloved songs. Beyond X JAPAN, YOSHIKI has built an extensive solo career under the classical-crossover banner “Yoshiki Classical,” performed at venues including Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl, and has long been involved in humanitarian and disaster-relief efforts, including donations to his home prefecture of Chiba following flood damage.
The 2026 Global Citizen Festival takes place on September 26 in Central Park, with the full lineup and livestream details available through Global Citizen’s official channels.
Author’s Comment
Honestly, of course YOSHIKI is the one representing Japan at a stage full of Alicia Keys and Hugh Jackman — the man has been quietly building his "ambassador of Japanese rock to the West" resume since before some of these other performers were born. I love that he’s not showing up with a new single to promote, he’s bringing a 35-year-old ballad and asking an American crowd in Central Park to sing it back to him in Japanese-tinged English. That takes a certain confidence that only comes from decades of doing exactly this. Somewhere in Japan right now, an X JAPAN fan who’s followed him since the 90s is crying happy tears over this, and honestly, so am I a little.
