Benefits New York 2020

The most highly anticipated red carpet event of the year, the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit generated a record-breaking $15 million for the museum in 2019. Arrivals are a de facto fashion show and guests are expected to adhere to a theme, which was
“Camp: Notes on Fashion” in 2019. There were four wardrobe changes for Lady Gaga, who co-chaired the event with Anna Wintour, Alessandro Michele, Harry Styles, and Serena Williams. The guest list of 550 tastemakers and celebrities, including the likes of Celine Dion, Kylie Jenner, and Jared Leto, showed up in avant-garde looks by legendary fashion houses and up-and-coming designers. As part of the Met’s 150th anniversary celebration, the 2020 gala will center around the exhibition “About Time: Fashion and Duration,” which will trace the evolution of fashion from 1870 to the present day. Next: May 4, 2020
See more: See Inside This Year’s Met Gala Filled with Feathers and Flamingos

The Robin Hood Benefit brings 4,000 guests to the Jacob K. Javits Center to raise money for the nearly two million New Yorkers who live in poverty, making the event one of the largest and highest-generating fund-raisers in the country. In fact, at the 2019 benefit, at least 23 individual donors each pledged $1 million to the cause at a live call for donations. (The organization declined to release the total amount raised.) Themed “Robin Hood to the Power of You,” the evening focused on the ability of every individual to help alleviate poverty and included exciting elements like a performance from Shawn Mendes, an Empire State Building light show, and a surprise performance by Pharrell Williams. Next: May 11, 2020

See more: Do the Math: New York's Biggest Benefit Turned an Equation Into Event Design

In 2019, MoMA’s Party in the Garden raised more than $4 million to support the museum’s educational programs and care for its collection of important works of art. Maggie Rogers performed at the event in the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden, where the honorees included Alice and Tom Tisch, Yvonne Rainer, and the architecture firm Diller Scofidio & Renfro. Five hundred guests attended the dinner portion of the evening, with an additional 700 joining the fun during the after-party. Next: June 2020

See more: See What You Missed From Spring Benefits Season

Last year’s Whitney Gala and Studio Party, which honored Michael Bloomberg for his philanthropic efforts, raised $5.3 million to support programming at the museum. Donna Karan, Vanessa Williams, Diane Kruger, and event co-sponsor Michael Kors were among the 1,500 guests throughout the evening, which began with the gala and dinner in the fifth-floor Bluhm Family Galleries and later moved downstairs to Untitled restaurant and Kenneth C. Griffin Hall. In 2020, the gala will honor three longstanding Whitney trustees: Raymond J. McGuire, Laurie M. Tisch, and artist Fred Wilson. Next: April 7, 2020

Trustee Andrew F. Barth and longtime Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky were recognized at last year’s Spring Gala, where co-chairs Katie Holmes and Maggie Gyllenhaal were among the evening’s high-profile guests. The event began with a world premiere performance of Ratmansky’s “The Seasons” and continued with dinner and dancing in the David H. Koch Theater at the Lincoln Center. In honor of the organization’s 80th anniversary, the 2020 event, entitled ABTomorrow, will celebrate its history and legacy with a showcase of student talent representing the organization’s artistic future. Next: May 18, 2020.

Last year’s Metropolitan Opera Opening Night began with a performance of the Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess in the Opera House followed by a southern-inspired dinner in Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater. Laverne Cox, Tommy Tune, Misty Copeland, and Gina Gershon were among the celebrity guests at the glamorous event, which was live-streamed on multiple screens in Times Square for the 14th year. The 2020 gala will feature a production of Aida led by conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin in his first performance as the Met’s music director. Next: September 21, 2020

The 2019 Friends of the High Line Spring Benefit celebrated both the 10th anniversary of the opening of the park and the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Friends of the High Line organization. The event drew about 750 guests, who began the evening with cocktails on the Spur, the newest section of the park, and continued to Union West and High Line Nine. More than $3 million was raised at the soiree, which recognized the support of the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation. Next: May 14, 2020

The 2020 Library Lions gala will signal the culmination of a year-long celebration of the New York Public Library’s 125th anniversary. The event will return to the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on Fifth Avenue. Five hundred guests are expected to gather to celebrate the newest pride of Library Lions: author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and philanthropic leader Darren Walker, who join the ranks of past honorees including Gloria Steinem, Nelson Mandela, and Oprah Winfrey. Last year’s event generated nearly $2.8 million to support the New York Public Library system. Next: October 5, 2020

Often called the “Hat Luncheon,” the Frederick Law Olmsted Award Luncheon at the Conservatory Garden both raises money to support Central Park Conservancy and honors community leaders for their involvement with the organization. Brooke Shields and Martha Stewart were among the 1,200 guests at the 2019 event, which generated $4 million for the management and maintenance of the park. In 2020, the luncheon will honor trustee Elizabeth H. Atwood. Next: May 6, 2020

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Frick Collection’s Young Fellows Ball, which draws 600 young socialites to the Garden Court for an evening of cocktails and dancing. In 2019, the party highlighted “Moroni: The Riches of Renaissance Portraiture,” an exhibition of works by Giovanni Battista Moroni. Gabriela Hearst will serve as the 2020 event’s sponsor. Next: March 21, 2020

Honoring people who have made outstanding contributions to the fight against HIV and AIDS, the Amfar Gala New York is considered the unofficial kickoff to spring Fashion Week. Padma Lakshmi opened this year’s program, which recognized model and businesswoman Iman, Pace Gallery C.E.O. Marc Glimcher, and playwright Matthew Lopez. The gala at Cipriani Wall Street included a live auction and musical performances by Sofi Tukker and Charlie Puth. Proceeds totaled $1.4 million, bringing the accumulated fund-raising total to nearly $22 million since the event began in 1998. Next: February 2021

In 2019, Unicef USA hosted its 15th annual Snowflake Ball, where Unicef Goodwill Ambassador Priyanka Chopra Jonas and advocates Marjolein and Ewout Steenbergen were honored for their work on behalf of children’s rights around the world. Held at Cipriani Wall Street, the event drew 1,100 guests and generated a record-breaking $5 million. The party moves to the Park Avenue Armory this year. Next: December 1, 2020

More than 300 guests were in attendance at the Plaza Hotel for the 12th annual Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Spring Ball in 2019, which raised more than $1.5 million for programs and research grants at the renowned cancer hospital. The party will relocate to the Pierre Hotel this year. Next: May 19, 2020

The 2019 edition of the New York Botanical Garden’s Spring Gala highlighted the colorful “Brazilian Modern: The Living art of Roberto Burle Marx” exhibit and honored longtime board chair Maureen K. Chilton. About 600 guests attended the benefit, and proceeds went toward supporting the organization’s educational programs, which reach more than 330,000 children, families, students, and teachers each year. The 2020 benefit will celebrate the opening of “Kasuma: Cosmic Nature,” an exhibition that will span the garden’s 250 acres. Next: May 12, 2020

David Geffen, Katharine McPhee, and David Foster were among the 200 guests at the Prostate Cancer Foundation’s 2019 New York Dinner at Daniel, which generated $10 million for former financier Michael Milken’s cancer research charity. The evening featured mind-bending tricks from mentalist Lior Suchard and was capped off with a performance from Jamie Foxx. Next: November 2020

Presented by Van Cleef & Arpels and honoring artist KAWS, the 24th annual Tribeca Ball raised $850,000 to support the New York Academy of Art. Swizz Beats, Helena Christensen, Brooke Shields, and Liev Schreiber were among the evening’s attendees, who participated in studio tours and a live auction, interacted with up-and-coming talent, and enjoyed dinner from Daniel Boulud. Artist Eric Fischl will be honored at this year’s benefit. Next: April 6, 2020

Two-thousand financial leaders and philanthropists attended the 2019 UJA-Federation of New York Wall Street Dinner at the New York Hilton Midtown, generating more than $31 million to fight poverty, fund security enhancements for Jewish institutions, and pay for summer camp experiences for children. The evening’s honorees included BlackRock’s Barbara G. Novick, who became the first female recipient of the Gustave L. Levy Award, and Adam Schwartz, who received the Alan C. Greenberg Award for Young Leadership. Journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin delivered the dinner’s keynote address. Next: December 2020