SameSame.com.au ~ Inside Out Australia

Life Of The Party!

Feature, By Robert La Bua, 21st May, 2009

Last weekend Vienna, one of Europe’s most charming and underrated cities, undressed up for its most glamorous annual event – Life Ball.

Eva Longoria, Pamela Anderson and former US President Bill Clinton were among this year’s presenters, and Life Ball’s annual fashion parade featured the work of the fabulous Patricia Field, who has her own clothing line and was also the costume designer for Sex And The City – The Movie and The Devil Wears Prada, sharing her talent with the adoring party people, themselves clad in a variety of outfits ranging from the outlandish to the outrageous with a bit of black tie (and tail…) thrown out for good measure.

Accompanying some of the world’s top models was singer Katy Perry, who descended to the stage Botticelli-like in a clamshell. There were a lot of shells this year; Life Ball’s water inspired theme for 2009 was Let Love Flow, with an enormous pool built in front of Vienna Town Hall complete with gondolas transporting participants to the stage.

Life Ball is not all about parties, though. Its main purpose is to raise money for HIV/AIDS charities. Last year’s event raised nearly A$3 million, half of which is used within Austria and half elsewhere. Much of it goes to AmFAR – The Foundation For AIDS Research – hence the presence of Eva Longoria, who this year replaced longtime AmFAR crusader Sharon Stone as AmFAR’s representative at the ball. Life Ball has raised a considerable sum of money since its first event in 1993 – more than $A22 million.

Life Ball is Mardi Gras ten times over, not necessarily in size, but certainly in enthusiasm – the whole city gets excited, and the event is broadcast all over Europe, with VIPs clamouring for the oh-so-precious tickets not because it is politically correct to be seen in attendance but because it’s a damn fine party.

Over the years the charity fundraiser has seen the likes of telephone hurler Naomi Campbell, siren Sharon Stone, Aussie singer Kylie Minogue and the incandescent Liza Minnelli – not to mention a whole lot of hunky men gather at Vienna’s Town Hall for the city’s night of knights, most of them fresh and shiny, yet happily devoid of the armour so often worn at these A-list events.

As its website proclaims, Life Ball is the biggest and most spectacular charity event dedicated to raising support for the worldwide fight against HIV and AIDS. As in other countries, it has not been an easy road to success for Mr. Gery Keszler, head of Aids Life, the organisation that puts on this incredible event each year. The fact that the city’s enormous Town Hall is given over in its entirety is impressive enough, but what is done to it is even more extraordinary. From the multiple stages within the building and courtyards where artists perform their numbers to mermaids swimming in their underwater fashion worlds, the place rocks with activity until the light of day on Sunday morning. Australian favourite Pam Ann, Italian performance artist Ennio Marchetto, and Eurhythmic Dave Stewart were among the talent in 2009, though, as always, there was talent of another sort all over the place, with enough eye candy to require a shot of insulin!

While Life Ball is a great reason to come here, Vienna is fantastic anytime of year, even in the depths of a Central European winter; that’s when the arts are at their peak. The city’s official tourism office publishes a gay guide telling visitors where the best cruising places are and which bar, sauna, or sex club bests suits your tastes, however deviant they may be. It’s a welcome that’s not just warm, it’s hot.

Vienna is a place where long-held gay traditions are maintained; in fact, they do not die at all. They positively thrive. Vienna is justly famous around the world for its balls, the exclusive dances which take place all through the northern winter ball season. Most of these are arranged by profession, others by social association. The famous New Year’s Eve Ball and Opera Ball are among the most highly prized tickets of the year – though Life Ball, colourful spectacle that it is, gains the most attention. We have one all to ourselves, called The Rainbow Ball, which takes place each year at the end of January. Uncle Max would be thrilled to have a place to go after dropping off Captain von Trapp and the Baroness.

If you hurry, you can be here in time for the Identities Queer Film Festival, 4-12 June, another of Vienna’s annual gay events, which this year is perfectly timed with the climax of Zurich’s EuroPride celebrations to make a visit to Central Europe well worth the flight! Have a look at the Vienna Queer Guide, which can be downloaded directly from the Vienna Tourism website here, and start planning. Flying from Australia to Vienna with Swiss International Air Lines is the perfect choice to Vienna with a stopover in Zurich to attend both events in one trip.