Cannes’ 32nd amfAR Gala Turns Up The Music With $20M Raised And Last-Minute Addition Lizzo

Warm 75-degree weather and Lizzo were saving graces at the 32nd amfAR gala by the Hotel Du Cap Eden Roc ocean in a luxe-auction Thursday night that

Warm 75-degree weather and Lizzo were saving graces at the 32nd amfAR gala by the Hotel Du Cap Eden Roc ocean in a luxe-auction Thursday night that racked up a massive $20 million, with donations up 18% from last year for the AIDS research organization.

Seriously though, had amfAR been held earlier in the week, form-figure wearing fashion models would have braved fierce frigid weather on par with a November Kennebunkport, ME. One party attendee fearing the worst told me he tried to find a knitted winter’s cap in Cannes, but no dice. Luckily, similar to recent amfAR galas here, the weather fitted like long sleeve satin gloves.

However, this year’s gala was delicate on celebs, a result of two perfect storms: Cannes’ lack of Hollywood tentpoles and starry independents, as well as F1’s Monaco Grand Prix moving dates, this year’s race moving June 4-7. Quite often amfAR would reap the benefit of coinciding with the Grand Prix.

Showing up this year however were vets Eva Longoria, Robin Thicke and Heidi Klum, in addition to Entourage‘s Adrien Grenier as well as The Man I Love filmmaker Ira Sachs and the pic’s Bohemian Rhapsody Oscar-winning star Rami Malek (Sachs teased us that the movie already has a U.S. buyer, but remained mum; that was the first Malek heard of it, and let’s just say he was giddy). Last year’s amfAR Cannes gala drew Oscar winner Spike Lee, two-time Oscar winner Adrien Brody and Michelle Rodriguez, but also stars who were looking to shrug off any previous controversies in their mere and sheer appearances, i.e., two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey and James Franco.

April Love Geary and Robin Thicke at the amfAR Gala Cannes

Neilson Barnard/amfAR/Getty Images for amfAR)

Thicke, one of the few celebs to attend the hillside cocktails, which spill from the Hotel Du Cap backyard steps to the ocean balcony, told Deadline, “I’ve been coming for many years, we love the people, we love the cause, we love the celebration,” he said. “It’s a very glamorous night, I get to take my wife [April Love Geary] out. I’ve performed here a couple of times and done a lot of work with amfAR and it’s wonderful group of people doing the right things.”

Thicke told us he’s busy finishing his latest album, which last reported was entitled Home. Early on in the auction, The Masked Singer judge stepped on stage and hysterically crooned to the audience in his R&B style to “shut up.” He was auctioning off with Coco Rocha a luxe vacation package from Berkeley Travel and One & Only Aesthesis, eventually won by a gentleman by the name of James Taylor. “I thought it was the other James Taylor, but this guy is still wonderful,” said Thicke.

A signature portion of the four-hour dinner auction is the runway model show with looks from Prada, Miu Miu, LV, Tom Ford, Vivienne Westwood and more. This year’s theme was “Idols,” with models donning the signature styles of Madonna, Marilyn Monroe, Bon Jovi, Brittney Spears and more. Longoria auctioned off the 19 looks, which were picked up for €210,000.

This year’s Cannes Film Festival co-poster girl, Geena Davis, was the host of amFAR’s 32nd edition. Davis gave a nice shoutout to the festival’s official Thelma & Louise poster, which has drawn criticism from French gender-parity group Le Collectif 50/50 for “feminism washing” given the fest’s lack of films from female directors (there’s only five out of 22 in competition this year).

Davis, taking the podium at the beginning of the night, spoke about her first time in Cannes in 1991 when Thelma & Louise world premiered, as well as how far amfAR has come.

“At that time there was very little we can do to help our friends and family besides giving them support and giving them love, but now more than 30 years later, it’s a very different story. Extraordinary treatments and options have let people live long and healthy lives, much of that is in part to the groundbreaking research sponsored and pioneered by amfAR,” said the Oscar winner.

The top auctioned item was an Andy Warhol painting of Marilyn Monroe for €2.8 million, followed by the Audemars Piguet x George Condo, Denza and Chopard lot, and the Emily in Paris walk-on-role which at the last minute was turned into a double auction win for two separate bidders at €375,000 apiece.

Robbie Williams brings down the tent

Hoda Davaine//Getty Images for amfAR

When it came to the music acts, the previous two editions of amfAR galas set a high bar with performances by Cher and the Jonas Brothers in 2024 and Duran Duran last year. Heading into last night, the marquee name was UK hunk Robbie Williams, who rather than end the ceremony provided a cushion to the middle with the ditties “Angels”, “Feel”, “Rock DJ” and “Let Me Entertain You.” The evening was capped off by Swedish singer Zara Larrson.

However, it was the eleventh-hour addition of fourt-time Grammy winner Lizzo in place of TikTok performance artist PinkPantheress. Lizzo went onstage quite early, cocktail in hand, and shining in blue, singing “Don’t Let Me Love You” and “About Damn Time.”

However, it’s the models and their wares who continually steal the amfAR gala more if not equal to the Robin Leach-like personality of vivacious auctioneer Simon de Pury. For the most part, most of them wore gowns that could fit through the revolving door at the Hotel Du Cap onto the grand descending stairway, read few came close to rivaling Skye Hankey’s boa yellow dress last year which provided an elegant challenge for exits and entrances. Below is a glimpse of those who stole the show last night: