Viva Las Vegas! amfAR’s Inaugural Gala in Sin City Turns into a Celeb Dance Party

The buzz around Las Vegas hit a record high as hundreds of thousands of Formula 1 fans flocked to Sin City for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Since Thursday, the world’s top race car drivers have been whooshing by at more than 200 miles per hour on the iconic Strip, preparing for Saturday night’s competition. It’s the most spectacular race of the season, and to coincide with the thrilling weekend, amfAR joined the fun by hosting a star-studded, ultra-glam gala that morphed into a dance party led by Diana Ross.

On Friday evening at the Wynn Las Vegas, bold-faced names ranging from Sylvester Stallone and Juno Temple to Jodie Turner-Smith and Tommy Hilfiger gathered together to help raise over $3 million for amfAR, the world’s leading nonprofit organization supporting AIDS research and HIV prevention. The message of the inaugural Las Vegas gala was vital: the AIDS epidemic still exists.

“There are 39 million people living with HIV and two more get infected every minute,” said Kevin Robert Frost, amfAR’s CEO. “We want to remind people that it’s not over—but it could be. We are living in a moment where if we make investments in the right kind of research, we could have a cure for AIDS in our lifetime. We know what we need to do, but we just need the tools to be able to do it.”

The swanky party—hosted by car aficionado Jay Leno and presented by Paramount Global and Sotheby’s—kicked off with an outdoor cocktail reception on the sprawling grounds of the Wynn. The scene was picture perfect, with the dome of the new Sphere arena illuminating in the background and many valuable cars, including a 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing and a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT—both sold during the auction—parked on the artificial lawn for guests to admire. Actor Michael Fassbender and his co-star Jeffrey Wright from the drama series, The Agency, closely looked at each car in awe.

Ian Bohen, the charismatic actor from the highly popular drama series Yellowstone on Paramount Network, is one of amfAR’s most loyal supporters and a frequent gala attendee. He’s been amplifying the org’s life-changing work for about a decade simply because “it’s the greatest human health epidemic ever,” he said. “We should care about that for no reason other than that.”

Turner-Smith also doesn’t have personal connections with the epidemic, “but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t care. We all should,” she said. “It’s great to have an opportunity to use your celebrity to support a great cause.” Turner-Smith effectively used her star power during the evening’s auction. She graced the stage twice to sell diamond and emerald earrings—the winning bid went for $65,000—and persuaded a guest to donate $300,000 for a walk-on role on the series Tulsa King.

Each year, amfAR’s galas showcase incredible fashion moments, and the Vegas bash didn’t disappoint with beautiful long gowns and cocktail dresses. Temple arrived at the party in a stunning silk satin slip dress that featured flowers and gold pigment inspired by chinoiserie design. She was accompanied by Fausto Puglisi, the creative director Roberto Cavalli, who designed her look. His jacket matched her frock and the two were among the best dressed guests. “He’s very knowledgeable on how to make a woman feel glamorous,” said Temple. “You can’t help but feel like one when you slip into something like this”