‘London could 100% compete with Cannes’: Aids charity UK gala debut honours Tracey Emin

It’s recognised for its pomp, the celebrity supporters and the fabulously glamorous locations, but for the man behind the amfAR gala, an A-list charity roadshow that rolled into London for the first time this weekend, the event is deeply personal. AmfAR – the American Foundation for Aids Research – is a nonprofit group that emerged in the 1980s to support research into HIV and Aids. “I’m an HIV-positive man. I’m lucky to be alive because of organisations like amfAR,” the foundation’s incoming CEO, Kyle Clifford, said. “I had an Aids diagnosis, and nobody in my life knew that until recently, including my family. But I decided when I took on this role that I would come out about my diagnosis so that people who are HIV-positive know that the person leading the organisation is 100% committed. I live it every day.” AmfAR galas are known as some of the most lavish parties on the international social calendar, bringing together celebrities and philanthropists to raise money for biomedical research. Figures like Jeff Bezos and Leonardo DiCaprio are regulars in Cannes, while Richard Gere and Eva Longoria attended the Venice event. Now, amfAR is bringing a slice of that glamour to the UK having hosted its inaugural London gala at the luxury Chancery Rosewood hotel on Friday to coincide with the arts fair Frieze and the BFI London film festival. To mark the occasion, it honoured the artist Tracey Emin with a special award. “We believe London could 100% compete with Cannes and Venice,” Clifford said. “The interest we’ve received this week since being in town from different generations has been tremendous. “It became obvious very quickly that honouring Dame Tracey Emin was the most authentic way of expressing London’s DNA. Not only is she one of the most creative female contemporary artists, but she’s also been a voice for the voiceless, and a supporter of [the fight against] HIV and Aids since the late 80s.” The London gala was hosted by the actor Joely Richardson, with musical performances from Grace Jones and Jess Glynne. This year, amfAR raised $17m (£12.7m) at the Cannes gala, $3.4m in Venice and $3.1m in Dallas. Clifford said: “HIV is still a global health issue. At the moment, you have around 42 to 44 million people living in the world with HIV. Over 10 million of those do not have access to medication that can keep them alive. That’s like the whole population of London.” He said the organisation had “big plans for growth” in the capital. “We want to make amfAR the biggest event at Frieze, and hopefully the biggest event in the city. We’re going to have over 300 people in the room for the inaugural event.” AmfAR was formed in 1985 by the actor Elizabeth Taylor and the research scientist Mathilde Krim, among others. “They realised there was an opportunity during major artistic events to bring everyone together for a good cause. I always say people come for the party and stay for the cause,” Clifford said. “We’re in Palm Beach around March. Then we go to Cannes, then Venice, then Dallas, now we’re in London, and we’ll finish out the year in Vegas. We have raised nearly a billion dollars for our research programmes and awarded more than 3,800 grants to research teams worldwide. I believe London can bring us closer to a cure.”