Life Ball - History

History

Organizer and founder Gery Keszler is the “face” and engine of the Life Ball. It is also mainly his achievement that fashion representatives and celebrities of the entertainment industry such as Elton John, Catherine Deneuve, Liza Minnelli, Sharon Stone, Dita von Teese, Anastacia, Heidi Klum, Naomi Campbell and Jenna Jameson attend the opening show. Some play an active role in the event’s program, others just enjoy the party and celebrate. Gery Keszler chose the Vienna city hall as venue because he found it had great symbolic value. He felt that it should be part of the Viennese ball tradition, but be more provocative and glamorous. He was given the opportunity to present his project to then mayor Helmut Zilk. Zilk was convinced of the positive effect of such an event and gave it a try. He agreed to let Keszler have the festival hall in the Vienna city hall and supported him despite all opposition. Zilk’s stance was remarkable as support for this cause was not something that could be taken for granted at that time. There were also doubts as to whether the event would be a success. For Keszler it was exciting and nerve-wrecking until the opening, because the first guests arrived rather late.

The first Life Ball took place on May 29, 1993. In addition to the Vienna city administration, the event had only two sponsors. The ATS 1,100,000 (EUR 79,940) raised by the first Ball were donated to the non-profit organization AIDS LIFE, which was founded by Gery Keszler and Torgom Petrosian in 1992, to support other organizations helping people who are HIV-positive or have AIDS. Ever since the first Life Ball, a fashion show, then presented by Thierry Mugler, has become a key feature of the event. In the second year, at the Life Ball on May 28, 1994, the money raised through donations, sponsoring and ticket sales was doubled. The first two Balls were covered by TV stations in Austria and Germany. The third Ball on May 6, 1995, already attracted interest from French and Spanish broadcasters as well as MTV. In the subsequent years, the number of guests attending the opening show and the Ball as well as the number of journalists, radio stations, print media articles and sponsors rose steadily. This also increased the funds raised by the Life Ball to be donated to AIDS projects and research. In 1999, the Vienna city hall was renovated and the Ball took place in the Hofburg palace.

A cornerstone was accomplished at the 8th Life Ball on May 13, 2000: it was the first time the funds raised broke the ATS 10,000,000 (EUR 726,728) barrier. It was also the first Ball at which the opening show took place on the city hall square and was publicly accessible. The next year, for the first time projects in Africa (cf. HIV/AIDS in Africa) were supported through a cooperation with the Elton John Aids Foundation (EJAF) – Elton John was himself a regular guest at the event from 2001 to 2005 and also held the opening speeches. The 13th Life Ball on May 21, 2005, for the first time exceeded the EUR 1 million mark with a total of EUR 1,017,600 generated by ticket sales, catering, auctions, raffle, stamp and record sales and the contributions of various donors and sponsors. Half of the proceeds are donated to international projects. Since 2006, the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR), which was founded by Elizabeth Taylor and whose current president is Sharon Stone, has been a cooperation partner of the Life Ball. The main focus in 2006 was on the fight of HIV and AIDS in babies and toddlers.

Compared to today, the Life Ball started as a small event from the gay community. In contrast to other events attended by Keszler back then, it was never intended to be an event only for the gay scene or jet-setters. It combines Viennese ball tradition with fancy-costume queer balls. Some of the gay community supported the project greatly, especially when it was still in its infancy, e.g., Café Berg (since its opening). However, the Ball has attracted a majority of heterosexual guests for some time now, and also many companies make a contribution. To avoid the potential worst case – that gay people do not get tickets to an event which had its origins in the gay scene—the lesbian and gay community has had a ticket quota for some years. Even though the Life Ball has not been a mere “gay” event for some time, just as much as AIDS is no longer a “gay” epidemic, it still has this reputation. The attribute “gay” has, however, not been detrimental to revenue. When not discussed in the equal rights context, “gays are considered creative and fun—and are said to throw better parties”, which is a money-making cliché. Moreover, trend expert Bernhard Heinzlmaier adds that “it is considered hip to move in a gay environment. It indicates an open and modern set of mind.” In addition to the charity aspect, the “gay hipness” surrounding the heterosexual guests is therefore another reason for donations. The homosexuals in Austria alone would not be a big enough crowd to get companies to make such generous donations.

At least two celebrity couples met at the event: Austrian professional swimmer Markus Rogan and then Miss Austria Christine Reiler met at the 2007 Ball in which they both participated in the fashion show as models. At the Life Ball 2008, they celebrated their one-year anniversary and graced the runway in a partner-look outfit. The same night, TV presenter Nazan Eckes and Julian Khol, the Düsseldorf-based Austrian model, art student, and son of politician Andreas Khol, also met.

From 2000 to 2007, a wedding chapel for couples of any sexual orientation with famous “show priests” was hosted together with Austrian TV channel ATV to point out the unequal treatment of heterosexual and homosexual couples.

On the occasion of the XVIII International AIDS Conference that is beginning one day after the big event in Vienna, this year’s Life Ball will be very special. On the 17th of July Europe’s biggest AIDS charity event not only takes place in the Vienna City Hall and on City Hall Square, but also at the Burgtheater (the former imperial court theatre) and the Parliament. The “concept of the three houses” unites three extraordinary events and important organizations; the amfAR gala in the Parliament, the Elton John AIDS Foundation at the Red Ribbon Cotillion in the Burgtheater, and the William J. Clinton Foundation at the traditional Life Ball in the Vienna City Hall. With the support of many different personalities these three events together set a clear signal for tolerance and solidarity.

Access to the Life Ball is extremely limited. Each year, thousands of requests for Life Ball Tickets are received and few are granted to this exclusive experience. Recently, the Life Ball opened their doors to international guests who want to attend. A few international travel representatives have been selected to exclusively represent a region in offering travel packages to the Life Ball.