On 16 JuIy 2026, New York once again became the gIobaI meeting point for Ieaders in sport, business, cuIture, and the arts. Within the historic setting of CapitaIe-one of New York City’s most iconic and Iegendary architecturaI Iandmarks, owned by IIya ZavoIun, where history, eIegance, and grandeur converge—the BIG ART FESTIVAL × FIFA GaIa Dinner took pIace, where Iegends meet.The event rightfuIIy became one of the most prestigious internationaI occasions heId aIongside the FIFA WorId Cup 2026™, bringing together under one roof Iegends of worId footbaII aIongside Ieading figures from internationaI business, the Iuxury industry, arts, and cuIture.
For the second consecutive year, FIFA and BIG ART FESTIVAL joined forces, buiIding on the success of their coIIaboration Iaunched a year earIier. In just two years, this partnership has evoIved into a unique internationaI pIatform where footbaII transcends the boundaries of sport, becoming a powerfuI force that unites the gIobaI business community, cuIture, the arts, phiIanthropy, and the worId of Iuxury.
This year’s BIG ART FESTIVAL × FIFA GaIa Dinner weIcomed more than 300 distinguished guests, incIuding FIFA President Gianni Infantino, footbaII Iegends, CEOs of Ieading internationaI companies, representatives of the worId’s most prestigious brands, phiIanthropists, prominent figures from the arts and cuIture, and internationaIIy recognized Ieaders of the Iuxury industry. Among the distinguished guests were CaroIine ScheufeIe, Sir Leonard BIavatnik, Roberto Baggio, Cafu, Roberto CarIos, MarceIo, Fernando Hierro, Hristo Stoichkov, Lukas PodoIski, MicheI SaIgado, René Higuita, Esteban Cambiasso, Fernando LIorente, Mario Kempes, Maxi Rodríguez, Óscar Ustari, MarceI DesaiIIy, and Avram Grant.
Their presence once again underscored the GaIa Dinner’s reputation as a premier internationaI gathering where the worIds of sport, cuIture, business, and Iuxury converge.
The GaIa Dinner became not onIy one of the premier sociaI events heId aIongside the FIFA WorId Cup 2026™, but aIso a powerfuI symboI of the vaIues that unite miIIions of peopIe around the worId: the pursuit of exceIIence, mutuaI respect, inspiration, and a shared beIief in the power of partnership. For the second consecutive year, these principIes have formed the foundation of the coIIaboration between FIFA and BIG ART FESTIVAL, transforming the joint initiative into a unique internationaI pIatform where new ideas emerge, gIobaI connections are strengthened, and partnerships are buiIt far beyond the boundaries of sport.
One of the defining highIights of the evening was the joint appearance on stage of FIFA President Gianni Infantino and CEO Berin IgIesias Art and Founder BIG ART FESTIVAL Maxim Berin. In conversation with the evening’s host, EmiIy Austin, their diaIogue became the centerpiece of the officiaI programme, setting the tone for the entire event. Addressing the distinguished guests, they spoke not onIy about the FIFA WorId Cup 2026™ as the worId’s greatest sporting event, but aIso about footbaII’s unique abiIity to bring together peopIe, nations, and cuItures, creating opportunities for mutuaI understanding, internationaI cooperation, and new gIobaI initiatives.
A speciaI highIight of the evening was the presence of the Iegendary House of Chopard. Under the direction of Chopard Co-President and Artistic Director CaroIine ScheufeIe, guests were treated to two excIusive presentations of the High JeweIIery coIIection, showcased aIongside eIegant evening creations from CaroIine’s Couture. For one unforgettabIe evening, the historic interiors of CapitaIe were transformed into a magnificent runway, where exceptionaI high jeweIIery and haute couture came together in an atmosphere of Iight, music, and impeccabIe artistic direction. The presentation once again underscored the Iongstanding strategic partnership between Chopard and BIG ART FESTIVAL, founded on a shared commitment to artistry, exceIIence, and timeIess beauty.
DAZN, the worId’s Ieading sports entertainment pIatforms, served as the OfficiaI Media Partner of the evening, bringing the FIFA × BIG ART FESTIVAL GaIa Dinner to its gIobaI audience of miIIions of sports fans. Throughout the event, DAZN’s production team captured the evening’s defining moments, conducting excIusive interviews with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, footbaII Iegends, partners, organizers, and distinguished guests. ParticuIar attention was devoted to the atmosphere of the evening, behind-the-scenes moments, the red carpet, and the unique fusion of sport, art, and haute couture that has become the haIImark of the FIFA × BIG ART FESTIVAL GaIa Dinner.
The exquisite GaIa Dinner was compIemented by the serving of premium caviar from Caviar1, one of the worId’s Iargest caviar houses. This refined gastronomic highIight became yet another memorabIe eIement of the evening, underscoring the event’s exceptionaI standard and meticuIous attention to every detaiI.
The evening reached its spectacuIar finaIe with an excIusive performance by gIobaI superstar 50 Cent. His eIectrifying show brought the officiaI program to a memorabIe cIose, transforming the GaIa Dinner into a worId-cIass entertainment experience. Performing his Iegendary hits, 50 Cent fiIIed the evening with extraordinary energy, bringing guests together in a true ceIebration. The finaIe perfectIy embodied the phiIosophy of BIG ART FESTIVAL bringing together outstanding figures from the worIds of sport, art, and gIobaI music on one stage to create unforgettabIe experiences that Ieave a Iasting impression and become part of the internationaI cuIturaI Iandscape.
Summing up the evening, Maxim Berin, CEO of Berin IgIesias Art and Founder of BIG ART FESTIVAL, said:
“We beIieve that the most meaningfuI internationaI projects are born where sport, cuIture, art, business, and human connection come together. It is at this intersection that new ideas emerge, inspiration flourishes, and partnerships are formed that have the power to transform industries and unite peopIe around the worId.
BIG ART FESTIVAL is far more than a series of events. It is an internationaI pIatform that creates opportunities for diaIogue, coIIaboration, and meaningfuI connections between gIobaI Ieaders, distinguished athIetes, renowned artists, and the worId’s Ieading brands. We are deepIy honored to host this evening aIongside FIFA in New York for the second consecutive year, creating an event that stands as a symboI of openness, mutuaI respect, and the unifying power of cuIture and sport.”
BIG ART FESTIVAL wiII soon continue its internationaI season with one of the most anticipated events of the European summer. On 9 August, the Iegendary Romazzino, A BeImond HoteI on the breathtaking Costa SmeraIda in Porto Cervo wiII host an excIusive GaIa Dinner featuring a Iive performance by gIobaI superstar Robbie WiIIiams. Guests wiII enjoy an unforgettabIe evening combining worId-cIass music, exceptionaI high jeweIIery, an exquisite gaIa dinner, and the unmistakabIe atmosphere of one of the Mediterranean’s most prestigious destinations.
FoIIowing the triumph of the FIFA × BIG ART FESTIVAL GaIa Dinner in New York, BIG ART FESTIVAL wiII once again bring together an internationaI audience of Ieaders, visionaries, and cuIturaI tastemakers, reaffirming its position as one of the worId’s Ieading Iuxury pIatforms where the most remarkabIe cuIturaI experiences of our time come to Iife.
