The 31st Annual InterContinental® Miami Make-A-Wish® Ball’s Frozen New Look

The 31^st Annual Intercontinental Miami Make-A-Wish Ball goes full winter wonderland, a deliberate departure from the tropical theming the gala has leaned on in past years. The ball returns on Saturday, November 7, 2026, with its most fantastical theme to date: “Crystal Castle,” an immersive alpine fantasy. Held annually on the first Saturday in November, the iconic charity gala benefits Make-A-Wish Southern Florida, which has raised more than $50 million and granted over 9,000 wishes for children facing critical illnesses.

Photo Credit: World Red Eye

Spearheading the legendary event are “The Three Amigos,” Gala Host Glenn Sampert, Regional Director of Operations and General Manager of InterContinental Miami; Gala Co-Chair Shareef M. Malnik, Chairman of the InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Nightclub, Chairman Emeritus of Make-A-Wish Southern Florida, and Chair of its Capital & Endowment Campaign; and Norman Wedderburn, President and CEO of Make-A-Wish Southern Florida. Bringing the glamour, plus a witty dose of Hollywood royalty, is Gala Co-Chair Gabrielle Anwar, the beloved actress and filmmaker whose partnership with husband Shareef Malnik gives the evening its trademark inner-circle appeal.

Photo Credit: World Red Eye

Photo Credit: World Red Eye

This year, that glamour takes on an entirely new dimension. “Crystal Castle” will trade Miami’s tropical warmth for an icy wonderland where frozen palaces, Gothic cathedral grandeur, and the opulence of the Gilded Age merge into a wondrous world. The Ball’s Creative Director Maxwell Blandford describes it as a theatrical escape. “From the moment our guests walk through the doors, we want them to feel as though they’ve stepped out of the heat of Miami and into an alpine world, a fantastical, frozen, gilded kingdom filled with beauty, surprise, and a bit of madness,” he said. “But beneath the fantasy is something very real: We are creating an unforgettable night in support of a mission that means so much to all of us.”

Photo Credit: World Red Eye

The Ball’s most closely held secret remains its headliner, a name withheld until days before the curtain rises, continuing a tradition that has delivered once-in-a-lifetime performances by global sensations including Diana Ross, Jennifer Hudson, Lenny Kravitz, John Legend, Gwen Stefani, Steven Tyler, Adam Lambert, Sting, and Marc Anthony, who headlined last year’s 30th anniversary celebration.

Photo Credit: World Red Eye

Photo Credit: World Red Eye

InterContinental Miami Executive Chef Francesco Martini will craft a gourmet menu paired with premium pours from longtime partner Southern Wine & Spirits, a sponsor since the Ball’s first year. The gala celebration lasts until the early hours at the exclusive InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Nightclub, the Ball’s official afterparty, produced by Blandford together with Clif Loftin, Nicholas Zazzera, and Gus Muñoz, and sponsored by Sonrisa Puerto Rican Rum.

Tickets and sponsorship information for the 2026 InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Ball are available at sfla.wish.org.