Haute Couture Designer Jean Paul Gaultier was with no doubt the star of the evening at the Festive Opera Gala, November 5 2016 in Berlin. The exclusive and famous event raised valuable funds as high as an impressive € 450.000 for the “Deutsche AIDS-Stiftung” (German AIDS Foundation).

All of us at Neuschwansteiner congratulate our partners to this successful event!
Gaultier, honoured with the ‘World Without AIDS AWARDS’, was praised in a laudation by Conchita Wurst, winner of the 2014 59. Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen, who explained: „He is more than a designer. He has a message that it is about love with everything he does.”

2000 VIP guests from politics, business, sports, arts and media gathered for the Gala, including supermodel Toni Garrn, German national goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, Cathy Hummels, wife of German football superstar Mats, with her sister Vanessa, designer Jette Joop, Klaus Wowereit and actors Mariella Ahrens and Theo Gärtner with his wife Sarah.

The speech of Germany’s federal president Joachim Gauck clearly was another highlight of the evening.
“With his visit of this year’s gala, federal president Joachim Gauck affirmed the importance of the fight against HIV and AIDS”, initiators Dr. Alard von Rohr and Alfred Weiss explained proudly, “we are very happy to contribute with todays’ net proceeds to that fight.”
Max Raabe hosted the evening in a very nice and charming way, confirming it as a highlight on the capital’s social calendar.

Teresa Iervolino, Patrizia Ciofi, Edwin Crossley-Mercer, Aleksandra Kurzak, Levy Sekgapane, Michael Spyres, Stefano La Colla, Maria Kataeva, Mattia Olivieri, Gizem Myshketa and Lise Davidsen presented the guests with top-level vocal performances from the world of opera.
Àlvaro Soler had everyone dancing with his Spanish pop-rhythm at the after-show.

Some more impressions of the successful 23. Festive Opera Gala
Background information: The German AIDS Foundation is the biggest AIDS helping organisation in Germany that offers affected persons material support. Since 1987 it helps people with HIV and AIDS in need in Germany via single support or support of projects and groups, such as assisted living, work- and qualifications measures and recuperation travel.
DONATIONS: Berliner Sparkasse, IBAN: DE 14 1005 0000 0190 4044 00
Further Information www.operngala-berlin.de and www.aids-stiftung.de
Pictures copyright/curtesy of 23. Festliche Operngala: Franziska Krug, Gisela Schober, Isa Foltin /Getty Images for Deutsche AIDS-Stiftung)