On September 13th, 2025, St. Peter’s Square will host a first-of-its-kind performance: Grace for the World, the official closing event of the World Meeting on Human Fraternity and a highlight of the Vatican Jubilee celebrations. The evening will be co-directed by Pharrell Williams and Maestro Andrea Bocelli, bringing together music, storytelling, and light in a landmark cultural moment. Free to attend in Rome and broadcast live worldwide on Disney+, Hulu, and ABC News Live, the concert is set to unite global audiences around themes of peace and fraternity.
Pharrell Williams and a vision of unity through music
For Williams, the concert represents more than a performance—it is, in his words, a rare cultural moment when the world pauses and listens together. Bocelli echoed this sentiment, noting that the concert would “shine a spotlight on humanity with music from the heart of Christianity.” Both directors see the project as a platform to transform fraternity from an abstract idea into a lived global reality.
A Vatican concert marking a milestone in culture and faith
The program will showcase an exceptional lineup of performers. Alongside Pharrell Williams and the Voices of Fire Gospel Choir, the stage will welcome Andrea Bocelli, John Legend, Karol G, Teddy Swims, Jelly Roll, Clipse, and Angélique Kidjo. Together with a 250-voice international choir, these artists will embody the diversity of contemporary music while celebrating shared human values.
Adding a visual dimension, Nova Sky Stories will present a spectacular drone and light show inspired by the Sistine Chapel. The aerial performance reimagines sacred imagery as a living artwork in the night sky—an ephemeral fresco above Vatican City.
Beyond music: the meaning of ‘Grace for the World’
The event is designed as more than entertainment. Alongside live music, it will include reflections from leaders in culture, diplomacy, and sport, each contributing to a dialogue on fraternity. The exhibition-like staging, combining sound, storytelling, and visual art, positions the concert as both a cultural performance and a spiritual call to action.
As Cardinal Mauro Gambetti emphasized, fraternity should not remain a mere concept, but be expressed in words, actions, and collective transformation. Grace for the World embodies that vision, offering a living reminder that art and music can serve as catalysts for unity.
