On Sunday, Feb. 27, while the 83rd annual Academy Awards were taking place, another equally important event was happening across town–the 19th annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party. The event, hosted by Sir Elton John himself, along with partner David Furnish, Chopard jewelry and Jo & Raffy Manoukian. The lavish affair was held at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood and catered to all A-listers who didn’t make it to the award show this year.
Attendees included Sir Ben Kingsley, Heidi Klum & Seal, Jamie Foxx, Steven Tyler, Zac Levi, Sharon Stone, Matthew Morrison, Paul Rudd, Paz Vega, Claire Danes & Hugh Dancy, Ashley Tisdale, Baz Luhrmann, Emma Stone, Smokey Robinson, Quincey Jones, Chace Crawford, Hayden Panettierre, Kelly & Sharon Osbourne, Dave Annable, Cee Lo Green, Chris Colfer, Eric Stonestreet, Jane Lynch, Kim Kardasian, Nicole Richie & Joel Madden, John Waters, Miranda Cosgrove, Serena Williams, Joel McHale, Rashida Jones, Vanessa Hudgens, Taye Diggs, Rufus Wainwright, Natasha Henstridge, Tori Spelling, and many others.
Guests were able to sit comfortably and chat with their celebrity friends as they watched the show live from a large projector screen. Dinner was prepared by Chef Ludo Lefebvre of LudoBites with a menu that included seared beef tenderloin, crispy bacon and goat cheese soup, and an apple tart garnished with orange crème fraiche. Dinner was then followed by a live auction conducted by Sotheby’s Jamie Nivens where items like a five-night stay in Elton John’s Venice estate, and a special meet-and-greet concert with Taylor Swift.
The auction was followed by a performance by Florence + The Machine, who were later joined by Elton John to perform “Tiny Dancer” and “You Got the Love.”
In all, the event raised approximately $4 million for the Elton John AIDS Foundation which goes directly toward helping those affected by HIV/AIDS.
To view more photos from this event, visit Haute Living’s Events Gallery.
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