Every year on the final Thursday of the Cannes Film Festival, celebrities, business tycoons and socialites leave the famous Croisette and travel to the luxurious Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes for the annual amfAR Gala, one of the festival’s most glamorous charity events.
The gala raises funds for AIDS research. This year’s event is hosted by Geena Davis, with performances expected from Robbie Williams, Lizzo and Zara Larsson.
Since 1985, amfAR has raised nearly $950 million (841 million euros) for AIDS-related programmes and funded more than 3,800 research grants worldwide.
The Associated Press has been covering the event for more than 10 years and will livestream arrivals from the gala on Thursday from 1600 GMT on YouTube and APNews.com.
Getting to the exclusive venue is no easy task. Guests need special car passes to approach the hotel, while taxis and limousines slowly move through narrow French coastal roads before reaching the famous gates. Visitors are repeatedly reminded not to leave their cars and walk the final stretch to the venue.
After entering, guests receive wristbands and assigned table numbers before joining another line for the red carpet, where celebrities and invited guests pose together for photographers. Others quietly skip the spotlight and enter from the back.
Beyond the red carpet, guests move to the hotel’s scenic lawn overlooking the sea, with yachts visible offshore as the sun sets. Bars serve Champagne, cocktails and wine, while waiters offer snacks and DJs play soft music.
Celebrity encounters are common throughout the evening. Last year, Spike Lee and Adrien Brody were seen chatting over Champagne.
Inside the gala, artworks are displayed before being auctioned later in the evening to raise money for charity.
At around 8 pm, organisers begin calling guests into the dinner tent, though many continue socialising and taking photos before finally heading inside. Last year, Jeff Bezos drew attention as he moved between tables greeting guests.
Dinner continues late into the night alongside the charity auction.
This year’s auction items include a walk-on role in season six of the hit TV show Emily in Paris, a seven-day Arctic adventure with explorer Inge Solheim, and artworks by Tracey Emin and Andy Warhol.
One of last year’s most expensive items was a Dodge Charger driven by Vin Diesel in the movie Fast X, which sold for 475,000 euros.
Music performances are another major attraction during the dinner. Last year, Ciara opened the event, while Adam Lambert performed alongside Duran Duran, encouraging guests to sing along to popular songs including Notorious and A View to a Kill.
Fashion also plays a major role at the gala. Last year, a James Bond-inspired fashion collection curated by Carine Roitfeld raised 450,000 euros for the charity.
After dinner, the auction and live performances, guests head to the hotel’s poolside after-party, where celebrations continue until early morning.