By Miranda Murray
CANNES, France (Reuters) -From Cher to Demi Moore and Magic Johnson, the fashion and entertainment industry’s biggest names decamped to Antibes on Thursday night to raise money for AIDS research in one of the most luxurious, and secluded, settings on the French Riviera.
This year’s gala, where a seat at dinner costs at least $25,000, marked the 30th edition of the glitzy charity gala organized by amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, that is held annually alongside the nearby Cannes Film Festival.
Pop icon Cher, who helped cement the event as a must-attend party in its early years, was the evening’s main attraction, while Demi Moore, also an early supporter, opened the event.
“This is close to my heart and this is not my first amfAR and I have been working for a long time with my friends,” Cher told Reuters on the red carpet ahead of her performance.
The legendary singer and Oscar, Grammy and Emmy awards winner chaired the gala alongside Elizabeth Taylor, a founding member, in 1996, shortly after the event was first held in 1993.
She was honoured with amfAR’s award of inspiration in 2015.
Other celebrities who walked the red carpet included Michelle Yeoh, Heidi Klum and her daughter Leni, Kelly Rowland, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, Bella Thorne and Paris Jackson.
With an eye to the gala’s 30th edition, Yeoh said she hoped that the next 30 years would make its driving cause redundant.
“We want to eradicate AIDS, we want to be able to say it’s no longer unable to cure, so let’s hope we don’t need amfAR in 30 years’ time,” said the actor known for 2022’s “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and who is an amfAR ambassador.
Following a cocktail on the hotel’s pristine grounds with a view of the azure waters off Antibes, guests were treated to dinner and a show by Cher as well as Nick Jonas and Jess Glynne.
The acts were broken up by a live auction, with an Andy Warhol print of Taylor netting 350,000 euros ($378,490.00).
For those seeking a unique souvenir, a double black-and-white portrait of Cher taken by renowned photography duo Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott fetched 125,000 euros, while an afternoon with her and signed magazine went for 150,000 euros.
amfAR said that the benefit has to date raised $264 million for its research programs on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
($1 = 0.9247 euros)
(Reporting by Miranda Murray; Editing by Stephen Coates)
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