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Sasha Naod is entranced by the spectacle of Europe’s most extravagant queer fundraiser – the Life Ball in Vienna.
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Whoever said that AIDS is not on the agenda for the current generation of gays has never experienced Europe’s impressive Life Ball, the world’s biggest AIDS charity fundraiser. Now in its 16th year and with over ¤10 million donated to AIDS-related causes since its inception, the event is held annually to much acclaim in Vienna’s Town Hall, Austria.
A kind of throwback to the Viennese ball tradition with a decidedly gay bent, this high voltage event attracts megawatt celebrity attendance and ensures that the AIDS issue stays firmly on the map, in conversations, and outreach funded.
This year, Life Ball was space-themed and all about ‘Landing on Planet Life Ball’, a place where ‘Love is infinite’ and ‘Love is universal’. While the slogans obviously suffered in translation, they did not detract from their objective of providing inspiration, be it for costumes or donations.
Sharon Stone was again the headline guest this year, followed by lesser stars but those equally stellar in the celebrity orbit – Linda Evangelista, Kim Cattrall and Debbie Harry were among those more notable; actors like Alan Cumming, male supermodel of yesteryear Markus Schenkenberg and two plane-loads of New York fashion and nightclub elite also added to the rarefied air.
Whatever the guest list, the electricity on this balmy Saturday night was palpable. Tickets are highly sought-after by the masses – some 45,000-odd who cram the Town Hall’s front lawn and temporary grandstands to catch a glimpse of the costumes and chaos.
So popular is the event, in fact, that it’s even televised live nationally. Many of them vie for a chance at the few Willy Wonka passes on offer, but in a peculiarly gay twist, tickets are awarded only to the most fabulously dressed. And you thought Idol judges were fierce.
To say that Life Ball costumes are extravagant is an understatement. To get an idea think Elton-birthday-party more than ecstasy-fuelled gay rave (after all, it’s unlikely that the likes of Stone, Cattrall and co would support something that low-brow). The amount of effort that went into outfits was spectacular. In top hat and tails – with judicious use of glitter – this journalist felt decidedly underdressed.
Life Ball essentially takes over Vienna’s Town Hall, and grips the city in the process. The elegant turn-of-the-century building wouldn’t look out of place in a period film, but for one night only is decked out in disco balls and razzle dazzle. Decadently trussed-up party spaces appear like Christmas trees decorated in some fabulous queer fit. It’s over-the-top to say the least, but then, what’s a good ball if not for a little campy excess?
Of course, it’s all designed to take away from the devastation that AIDS has wreaked on the gay community – and to raise money. Life Ball’s tireless organiser, Gerry Keszler, was driven by personal loss to turn the event into what it is today, and has swept up a nation in the process.
At the press conference Linda Evangelista also referred eloquently to her personal contact with the disease, while Sharon Stone took a more semantic track during the opening ceremony, choking back tears in a poignant speech highlighting that “words matter”.
So thank goodness for Kim Cattrall, who publicly disclosed that much like her well-known character Samantha, she always carries a condom in her purse. After the 1980s, and much like Life Ball itself, it’s the kind of light-heartedness that we all need.
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