How the amfAR Gala Works
Tables sold by the foundation, guests invited by houses, an auction for the benefit of research: how the evening really works, drawing on public sources.
Last updated 5 October 2026 · 4 min read
The amfAR Gala in Cannes is a benefit evening: tables and places are sold by amfAR itself, for the benefit of AIDS research, on its own terms. Houses and companies take a table and invite their own guests; others support the evening through sponsorship. During the dinner, an auction of luxury objects and contemporary works of art funds research. No concierge can honestly resell these places: TGZ sells none, can only direct you to the foundation, and arranges the Riviera stay around the evening.
The short answer: the foundation sells its tables
The amfAR Gala is not a closed, invitation-only evening: the foundation sells its tables and places, through its own channels, for the benefit of its research programmes. It sets the terms, and remains in charge of its room and its list.
This guide describes how the evening works as it is publicly documented, first of all by the foundation itself. One point from the outset: TGZ Conciergerie is an independent house, not affiliated with amfAR, the Cannes Film Festival or the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, with no official status. We resell no table, hold no allocation and promise no access.
Who organises the evening?
amfAR — The Foundation for AIDS Research — is an American foundation that has been devoted for more than forty years to research on HIV and AIDS. Its Cannes gala, launched in 1993 at the Moulin de Mougins, counts thirty-two editions as of 2026; it takes place during the Cannes Film Festival, in recent years at the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc.
The Cannes Film Festival does not organise the gala: the two meet in the calendar, and many Festival guests join the evening, but the foundation is its sole organiser. Each edition has its hosts, its artists and its fashion show, announced by the foundation.
Tables, places, sponsorship: the routes that exist
Most guests arrive through a table: taken directly from the foundation by a private individual, a company or a house, which invites its own guests. The foundation also offers places and sponsorship packages, with a dedicated contact. In every case, the sum paid is a contribution to a benefit evening, for the benefit of research.
The table below summarises the routes that really exist, and the one that does not.
| Route | Who decides | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| Table or place taken from amfAR | The foundation | Terms set by the foundation, for the benefit of research |
| Guest at a table | The table's host, within the framework set by the foundation | The guest is invited by a house, a company or a private individual |
| Sponsorship of the evening | The foundation | Falls under its partnership programmes |
| “Ticket” resold by a third party | No legitimate party | Should raise suspicion: the foundation sells its places itself |
How the evening unfolds
The format is established: a black-tie dinner, musical performances, a fashion show designed for the occasion, and an auction. The exact programme — artists, hosts, the theme of the show — is announced by the foundation as each edition approaches.
The evening begins early and runs late; Cap d'Antibes is very busy at that point. That is what makes the logistics decisive: the hour of departure, the route, the chauffeur who waits, the return. Our guide Getting to the amfAR Gala details these choices.
The charity auction
At the heart of the evening, an auction brings together luxury objects and contemporary works of art donated to the foundation. The proceeds of the auction, like those of the tables, fund amfAR's research programmes.
We name neither the lots nor the sums: they belong to each edition and to its bidders. For anyone who wishes to bid, the arrangements are for the foundation, which communicates them to its guests. We play no part in the auction.
What we do, and what we do not
We sell no table and no place, resell nothing, and do not approach the foundation on your behalf. If you wish to attend the evening, we can tell you how to contact it; the booking, its terms and acceptance remain between you and the foundation.
What we arrange is everything that surrounds the evening: the address on the Cap or in Cannes, the stylist, the car that leaves early, the return at night, the lunch the next day, the day at sea. And if you do not attend the gala, the week on the Riviera can be lived fully without it. Our amfAR Gala VIP page presents the whole.
Frequently asked questions
By taking a table or a place from amfAR itself, which sells them for the benefit of research on its own terms, or by being invited to a host's table. TGZ sells no place: we can only tell you how to approach the foundation.
The foundation offers tables and places, depending on the edition and on its own terms. Only the foundation can tell you what is available: we hold no allocation.
No, and anyone who claims so should be treated with caution. Tables are sold by the foundation, which sets the terms and remains in charge of its room. TGZ promises no access; we arrange the stay around the evening.
The proceeds of the tables, the places and the auction fund amfAR's research programmes on HIV and AIDS. That is the reason the evening exists.
Luxury objects and contemporary works of art donated to the foundation are auctioned during the dinner, for the benefit of research. The arrangements are communicated by the foundation to its guests; we play no part in it.
No. It takes place during the Festival, but it is organised by amfAR alone. Festival accreditations or invitations give no access to the gala, and vice versa.
No. TGZ Conciergerie is an independent house, with no affiliation to amfAR, the Cannes Film Festival or the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, and with no official status.
Take it further
A stay composed with candour
Tell us what you wish to live on the Riviera in May 2027: we will tell you what is for us, what is for the foundation — the gala table — and we will compose the rest on a tailored quote.