80,000 Attend Historic 'Grace for the World' Concert at Vatican's St. Peter's Square

VATICAN CITY – An estimated 80,000 people gathered in St. Peter's Square on September 13, 2025, for the "Grace for the World" concert, a landmark event co-directed by Pharrell Williams and Andrea Bocelli. The concert, featuring an array of international artists including Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, and Karol G, marked the closing of the third World Meeting on Human Fraternity and celebrated the 2025 Jubilee Year. Entrepreneur Kimbal Musk, an executive producer for the event, expressed his profound honor on social media, stating, > "I am deeply honored to have been trusted with Vatican as the stage to bring Grace to the World with my dear friends Pharrell Williams, Andrea Bocelli, Jennifer Hudson. We made a miracle happen tonight."

This historic gathering represented the first time a concert of such magnitude was staged in St. Peter's Square, transforming the sacred space into a global stage for unity and compassion. The event was designed to reflect on humanity's shared challenges and promote the values of fraternity, as championed by the Fratelli Tutti Foundation. It served as a powerful culmination of a two-day conference that brought together leaders and thinkers from various fields.

The star-studded lineup delivered a message of peace and brotherhood through music. Pharrell Williams, who also co-directed the show, emphasized the event's purpose during his opening remarks. He noted, "I want to sincerely thank His Holiness Pope Leo [XIV] for opening the doors to this sacred place to us all, and reminding us that true compassion and grace begin with fraternity, seeing one another as brothers and sisters, and fellow human beings."

A highlight of the evening was a spectacular drone show, operated by Nova Sky Stories, a company owned by Kimbal Musk. Over 3,000 drones illuminated the sky above the Sistine Chapel, creating images of the late Pope Francis, the Virgin Mary, doves, and Michelangelo's Creation of Adam. This innovative display blended centuries of tradition with modern technology, adding a unique visual dimension to the spiritual and musical celebration.

The "Grace for the World" concert was live-streamed globally across Disney+, Hulu, and ABC News Live, extending its message of unity to an international audience. The event underscored the Vatican's commitment to fostering dialogue and collective action in addressing contemporary global issues. Organizers aimed to bridge diverse communities through the universal language of music and shared human values.