Cher, Demi Moore Headline amfAR Gala at Cannes, Raising $16 Million

Each year, the amfAR Gala is one of the biggest celebrity-studded and exclusive black-tie events during the Cannes Film Festival. Always held on the last Thursday of the festival, the evening brings together notable names and those with thick wallets to raise money for AIDS research and HIV prevention, treatment, education and advocacy. This year, the 30th edition of the gala — held at Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc — started off with cocktails and the red carpet, then a dinner and live auction.

Among the glittering stars attending the gala were Michelle Yeoh, Heidi Klum, Andie MacDowell, Diane Kruger, Colman Domingo, Maria Bakalova, Odell Beckham, Jr., Tommy and Dee Hilfiger, Paris Jackson, Magic Johnson, Coco Rocha, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, Bella Thorne, Julian Lennon and more.

The cocktail hour featured drinks by Seventy One Gin, DraftKings and Homolog as guests mingled and posed for photos. As the crowd gathered in the tent where the dinner and live auction were being held, they were met with tables covered in red velvet; flower arrangements of white roses, deep red carnations and peonies; and bottles of Don Julio tequila.

Starting the dinner was an additional performance by British singer Jess Glynne, who became the first and only British female solo artist to score seven number ones on the U.K. singles chart. Then Demi Moore, the evening’s host, took to the stage. It has been 27 years since Moore attended an amfAR Gala. The actress has been in Cannes promoting her new film The Substance, co-starring Margaret Qualley, which is in competition at the fest.

Moore quieted the audience and spoke about how Elizabeth Taylor inspired her and asked her to host a gala in 1997, when Taylor couldn’t do it herself. Then amfAR Board co-chairs T. Ryan Greenawalt and Kevin McClatchy addressed the assembled, thanking the evening’s sponsors, including Chopard, Red Sea International Film Festival, Beautick, Gérard Bertrand and Hatt et Söner Champagne. Simon de Pury, the well-known auctioneer started the auction off by presenting lot one, a painting by Alexander Calder with a starting bid of $25K that sold for $100K.

Fashion editor Carine Roitfeld curated the night’s fashion show, which included gowns from top luxury designers such as Chanel, Jacquemus, Dolce & Gabbana, LaQuan Smith, Maison Margiela, Rabanne and Schiaparelli, all of which were also set to be auctioned. Taking to the stage and standing side by side by Heidi Klum, Roitfeld thanked the models,, who included Toni Garrn, Barbara Palvin, Isabeli Fontana, Karolina Kurkova, Carmen Kass, Kasia Struss, Rachel Marx, Rayssa Medeiros, Yilan Hua and Alyda Grac.

“Everything is possible with Pierre Giorgio who did the casting. So please bid the highest,” said Roitfeld, imploring the audience. Starting the bid off at $100K for the 28 looks, the entire collection sold for $500K. The winning bidder will be photographed with the collection and Klum.

A portrait by photographer Chris Levine of Queen Elizabeth II was championed by Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, who quieted the audience but brought laughter by saying, “that was my mother in law.” It sold for $475K. And an Andy Warhol lithograph of Taylor, hand signed by the artist, went for around $378K. In total, the 2024 amfAR Gala raised $16 million.

Later in the evening, Nick Jonas, styled by Lanvin, took to the stage singing “Jealous,” and “Can’t Take My Eyes off You,” both of which brought the audience to their feet. His brother Joe also joined him on stage singing. Then, Cher took to the stage wearing a sequined purple jumpsuit and singing “Walking in Memphis” and “Believe.”

The evening ended with an afterparty at the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc restaurant overlooking the pool where Diplo deejayed.

To date, amfAR has raised nearly $900 million for its programs and awarded more than 3,800 grants for research around the world.