#1 Benefit
It’s an “on” year for the enormous gala, which takes over the Beverly Hilton every two years. Since its debut in 1978, the celebrity-mobbed event has brought in nearly $80 million toward finding a cure for diabetes. Chair Barbara Davis works alongside a committee to raise funds through big sponsorships, auctions, underwriting, and donations. Past headline entertainers include Beyoncé, Elton John, Celine Dion, and Whitney Houston. Next: October 8, 2016
#2 Benefit (new to the list)
In 2014, Rihanna launched her first-ever ball, a black-tie fund-raiser to benefit Clara Lionel Foundation, which was founded in 2012 in honor of the star’s grandparents. The inaugural event alone raised $2 million to support the Clara Braithwaite Center for Oncology and Nuclear Medicine in Barbados, making it among the heaviest hitters on the charity event scene. Next: Winter 2016
#4 Benefit
Last year's ball set a new gross revenue record with more than $1.5 million raised. The gala has raised more than $17 million over its 17-year history, and it usually picks a theme around a big exhibit debut or museum happening. This year's dinner, held off site in Marina del Rey, will have a larger press component to accommodate a grand send-off for the last surviving flight-qualified space shuttle external tank, ET-94. Next: May 20, 2016
#5 Benefit
This year’s opening-night gala performance will include the Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by music and artistic director Gustavo Dudamel, and the event includes cocktails, the concert, and a gala dinner. Last year’s event, the "Brilliance of Beethoven,” raised more than $3.5 million for the orchestra’s music education programs. Next: September 27, 2016
#7 Benefit
At its yearly major fund-raiser, nonprofit group Chrysalis raises money to support the homeless and low-income population. Last year, the 14th annual ball attracted more than 700 Hollywood types and raised $1.4 million. Next: June 11, 2016
#8 Benefit
The big fund-raiser for the cancer nonprofit is now in its 42nd year. Each year it draws 4,000 people and raises approximately $1.8 million for the cause. This year’s event will have a “Field of Dreams” theme. Next: July 9, 2016
#10 Benefit
The Art of Elysium has hosted its annual gala for nine years. This year, Vivienne Westwood oversaw the event. The evening’s experience was divided into two parts: One was a modern art installation by New York-based art director Andrew Ondrejcak and a live performance by the London-based punk band Wild Daughter. The second portion of the evening transformed into what organizers billed as a “post-apocalyptic rain forest,” with Detroit-based soprano Shara Worden providing musical entertainment alongside ballet dancers dressed in Westwood couture. Next: January 14, 2017
#11 Benefit
In 2013, the museum marked its centennial anniversary with a big event that brought in more than $2 million. Last year, the biennial event returned in its familiar format and honored the museum's president and director, Jane G. Pisano, with an alfresco dinner served farm-to-table style in the Nature Gardens. The event drew 600 guests and raised $1.6 million. Next: Summer 2017
#12 Benefit
The benefit kicks off the summer season at the Hollywood Bowl. The gala starts with a V.I.P. pre-concert cocktail reception and dinner, followed by a concert with fireworks under the stars. Each year the event raises more than $1 million for the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s music education programs, which serve more than 150,000 youths, families, and teachers every year. Next: June 18, 2016
#13 Benefit (new to the list)
The gala, now in its sixth year, draws about 300 guests and raises about $1 million each year. The 2016 event at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts honored chairman and C.E.O. of the W.M. Keck Foundation Robert Day and performer Ben Vereen with tribute speeches by Ghada Irani and Paula Abdul. Monique Lhuillier’s creative direction for the gala celebrated the ballet’s first decade through the placement of dancers outfitted in her designs, representing each of the Los Angeles Ballet’s past seasons. Next: Spring 2017
