Austria on the World Stage: amfAR Gala Salzburg Celebrates Successful Premiere

From Jeremy Irons to Sir Bob Geldof, from Ute Lemper to Rufus Wainwright:
The amfAR Gala Salzburg united world stars and key figures of social
engagement. Curated by Gery Keszler, with a charity auction from Warhol to
Westwood. Presented by BMW Austria and MAC.

Salzburg, 24. August 2025

Especially during festival season, Salzburg becomes a
magnet for the international jet set and a culturally minded audience from around
the world. However, the premiere of the amfAR Gala topped everything seen
before: Around 400 high-profile personalities from the arts, culture, politics, and
business experienced an evening in the baroque Residenz Salzburg that
combined exclusivity and great emotion. Under the artistic direction of Gery
Keszler and curated by LIFE+, theater, music, fashion, and social discourse
merged into a gala evening of international radiance. The gala was opened by
Oscar winner Jeremy Irons, followed by moving performances by Ute Lemper and
Rufus Wainwright, who paid homage to the city’s musical heritage with excerpts

from his Dream Requiem on Mozart’s original clavichord. In a LIFE+-conceived
continuation of the iconic play “Jedermann” (Janina Lebiszczak / text, Alexander
Wiegold / dramaturgy, and Marie Alice Wolfzahn / direction), new and familiar stars
created goosebump moments. Among them: Philipp Hochmair, Karl Markovics,
Cornelius Obonya, René Pape, Paul Winkler, Maayan Licht, Deleila Piasko,
Kathleen Morgeneyer, Sunnyi Melles, and Stefan Jürgens. Mozart’s Costa violin,
played by star violinist Lidia Baich (like the clavichord a loan from the Mozarteum
Foundation), sounded, while Elisabeth Fuchs excelled in the orchestral
accompaniment with the Salzburg Philharmonic.
For the poetic reinterpretation of Jedermann with impulses from acting, music, and
literature, the house of Vivienne Westwood reinterpreted historical festival
costumes for the special performance. Re-working the past into the future, the
costumes, once worn by opera singers and performers, were selected from the
Salzburg Festival’s costume archive by Westwood’s creative director Andreas
Kronthaler. Taken apart, combined, re-sewn, and mixed-up with pieces from
current collections to tell a new story in the signature style of the house. Depicting
the plays’ themes of life and death, possession and loss, power and humility, the
Vivienne Westwood costumes tell the story of the plays’ motifs and the characters
within it.
Following the performance, the special costumes were sold as part of the gala
auction.
Jannic Stockhausen (Dahlmann) was responsible for the gala dinner, staging a
multi-course top menu, stylishly served on fine Meissen porcelain. Also a
composition in itself are the 60 place plates for the guests around the catwalk –
designed by Vivienne Westwood’s atelier especially for the gala, produced by
Gmundner Keramik, the plate depicts illustrations from the Westwood house
archives representing the two central figures from the classic play, Buhlschaft and
Jedermann meeting at Domplatz in Salzburg, dated 24/08/2025. The plates were
available for purchase to raise further funds for the charity.

In the finale, one of the greatest philanthropists of our time was honored: Sir Bob
Geldof received the Grand Decoration of Honor for Services to the Republic of
Austria, presented by Sepp Schellhorn, State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for
European and International Affairs, with a laudatory speech by media manager
Rudi Klausnitzer.

Selected statements about the evening:

Andreas Kronthaler, Creative Director, Vivienne Westwood:

“Salzburg is special to Vivienne and me, and the house of Vivienne Westwood is
honoured to be part of the amfAR gala, held in Austria for the first time. We
created costumes in collaboration with the wonderful costume department of the
Salzburg Festival for this performance. The costumes were then auctioned to
raise funds for the life saving research and the ongoing fight to end the global
AIDs epidemic. Theatre is vital.”

Jeremy Irons:

“amfAR is an extraordinary institution, and I had never been to Salzburg – so I
didn’t hesitate for a second when I was invited to be a guest at the very first
amfAR Salzburg. For me, it was a no-brainer. I am delighted to be part of this
fantastic program.
A gala like this can play an enormous role in reminding us of what the essence of
being human could be. There is a golden humanity within each of us. Supporting
an event like this, and making that humanity visible, is one of the most powerful
things we can do.”

Iris Berben:

“Especially in times when we are confronted with so many difficult developments,
we need loud, joyful, beautiful moments – like the amfAR Gala. They remind us
how important it is to inspire people, to be present, and to advance research
together.”

Sir Bob Geldof:

“I have been to Austria many times – it is incredibly beautiful. But Salzburg? It is
probably the most beautiful of all. A city that breathes culture. This award here at
the amfAR Gala means a great deal to me – it is different from a music prize. It is
a true honor. And I accept it with great respect.”

Ute Lemper:

“The amfAR Gala is simply an absolute highlight – a wonderful event! The
atmosphere is electrifying, a true happening right here in the heart of Salzburg. I
am truly delighted that so many people have come together to support this
important cause.”

Rufus Wainright:

“When I first played Mozart’s clavichord during rehearsals, I was very nervous. The
instrument is small, the sound not very strong. But when I pressed the keys a bit
more firmly, it became fun – I didn’t want to stop. It’s a great honor. And then to be
able to perform here at the amfAR Gala in Salzburg!
I’m 52 now, and my whole life has been shaped by the AIDS epidemic. Events like
this are absolutely essential. Let’s try to make this world a better place.”

Kevin Robert Frost / CEO amfAR:

amfAR: “The city, the cultural heart of Europe during the
Salzburg Festspiele, provided the perfect setting for an amfAR Gala; it combines
depth and timeless beauty with extraordinary art. This was truly a meaningful
evening for us, unprecedented in this form.”

Gery Keszler:

“I wanted a gala that could do more than just sparkle – one that
perceives Salzburg as a place of history and a space for the future. To quote from
the gala’s script: Just as doubt is inseparably linked to faith, we should be united
not by worry, but by confidence.”