Demi Lovato to Take Selena Gomez's Place at 2016 Global Citizen Festival

The former Disney singer recently revealed she was struggling with side effects of her Lupus diagnosis, including panic attacks and anxiety

By Samantha Schnurr Sep 07, 2016 1:23 PMTags

On the heels of Selena Gomez's announced break from the spotlight, Demi Lovato has agreed to fill in. 

The "Cool for the Summer" star is wrapping up the season as a headliner of the 2016 Global Citizen Festival in late September, an annual benefit concert Gomez was originally slated to perform in. 

After publicly revealing her ongoing struggle with the side effects of her Lupus diagnosis, including anxiety, panic attacks and depression, Selena announced that she is taking time off to "be proactive and focus on maintaining [her] health and happiness," as she told People. Gomez was also slated to perform a leg of her Revival World Tour in Europe and South America, but all remaining shows scheduled into mid-December have also been canceled. 

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Demi Lovato's Best Looks
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Meanwhile, Lovato, who has been a longtime mental health advocate, is proud to join this year's lineup and support the concert's global effort to end world poverty. 

"I'm excited and proud to support this cause and perform at the Global Citizen Festival," she said in a video on Twitter announcing her addition to the lineup. "Join me and Global Citizen to help promote mental health, well-being and gender equality."

The MTV VMA winner will join this year's MTV Video Vanguard honoree RihannaMetallica and Grammy-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar on the New York City stage in just a few weeks. 

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Selena Gomez Is Taking Time Off Due to Anxiety, Panic Attacks and Depression Stemming From Her Lupus Diagnosis
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UsherColdplay's Chris Martin, who is the creative director of the festival, and Ellie Goulding are also scheduled to appear as special guest performers.

As for hosts of the highly anticipated evening, Oscar nominee Hugh Jackman and his wife Deborra-Lee FurnessNeil Patrick HarrisQuantico's Priyanka Chopra, Chelsea HandlerSalma Hayek and Late Night's Seth Meyers will all have the mic to guide the show along. 

However, tickets to this star-studded show can't be bought. Instead, the organization has offered fans opportunities to "take action" to earn their spot in the Central Park crowd come Sept. 24. For those interested, visit the Global Citizen's website to learn more about how you can secure your night out in three weeks and do some good in the process.

Not to fret—for those who can't get their hands on a ticket, the show will also broadcast live on MSNBC and stream online on the network's website and YouTube.

People was first to announce the news. 

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