Stars turn out for lavish French Riviera AIDS fundraiser

May 26, 2017

Will Smith, Nicki Minaj, David Beckham and more stars turn out for lavish French Riviera AIDS fundraiser

CAP D'ANTIBES, France — A star-studded French Riviera AIDS fundraising gala has raised more than $20 million (17.8 million euros) to combat the disease globally.

Guests at the 24th annual amfAR Cinema Against AIDS gala were treated Thursday to musical performances by Nicki Minaj, Rita Ora and Diana Ross, a fashion show and auction of items for the superrich.

The lavish evening, which raises money for AIDS research and education programs across the globe, attracts some of world's biggest celebrities, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Eva Longoria, Will Smith, Nicole Kidman and David Beckham. Many are in the area for the Cannes Film Festival, which runs through Sunday.

The champagne-fueled dinner event included a fashion show that earned more than three million euros ($3.36 million) by itself.

This year's gala theme celebrated the "Golden Age of Hollywood."

A chance to play soccer against Beckham sold for 350,000 euros ($392,000), the same price paid for a five-day trek to visit the Dalai Lama. A 1958 Jaguar XK150 sold for 600,000 euros (approximately $671,000).