For the 13th year, Firehouse Productions was tasked with delivering high-quality sound for the Global Citizen Festival in New York City’s Central Park. The 2025 edition drew more than 60,000 attendees to the Great Lawn for a full day of performances by global artists including Shakira, Cardi B, Tyla, ROSÉ and more. The event coincided with the UN General Assembly and featured appearances by Hugh Jackman, Adam Lambert, Bill Nye, and Kristen Bell. With a diverse lineup and a mission to inspire action on global issues, the challenge was to provide consistent audio coverage across a large outdoor venue while meeting strict environmental and logistical requirements.
Firehouse Productions deployed a JBL Professional VTX system powered by Crown amplifiers to meet the festival’s demands. The system featured 76 JBL VTX V25-II-CS loudspeakers for mains and delays, 36 VTX G28 subwoofers in a cardioid configuration, six VTX S28 subwoofers for side fill, and 20 VTX A8 loudspeakers for front and out fill. Amplification was handled by 54 Crown I-Tech 4×3500HD units.
Using JBL’s Venue Synthesis software, the team was able to model and optimize coverage in advance, eliminating the need for pink noise testing onsite. “JBL Venue Synthesis really is the star of the story,” said Vinny Siniscal, Account Manager at Firehouse Productions. “It allows us to forecast and show the client exactly what kind of coverage they’re going to get across the park.”
The integration team, including Systems Engineer Nathan Allers and Project Manager Luis Espinal, streamlined setup using advancements in JBL’s rigging and amplification technology. “The technology has gotten to the point where, dare I say, it’s easy,” Siniscal added. “We unload at 9 p.m. and by midnight we’re able to walk away.”
The system delivered balanced, reliable sound from the front barricade to the outer edges of the park, ensuring clarity and consistency for all audience zones. The preconfigured deployment reduced setup time and improved workflow efficiency, allowing Firehouse to meet logistical constraints without compromising audio quality. As Shakira closed the show and Cardi B energized the crowd, audience response confirmed another successful year for the production team and their trusted JBL system.
