Hollywood, music and sports stars filled a Los Angeles red carpet on Wednesday night for a first: the inaugural gala of Airbnb.org, the nonprofit that provides free temporary housing to people in crisis. The event, held October 28 at Milk Studios, drew a guest list that ranged from Oscar winners to tennis royalty.

Who was there

According to red-carpet coverage from Just Jared and Page Six, attendees included:

  • Charlize Theron, Jessica Alba, Zoe Saldana and Elizabeth Banks
  • Matthew McConaughey with wife Camila Alves McConaughey and their 18-year-old son Levi
  • Serena Williams and Megan Rapinoe
  • Charli xcx, Demi Lovato, Kelly Rowland, Cynthia Erivo and will.i.am
  • Joshua Jackson, Paul Bettany, Jaden Smith and Jimmy Kimmel
  • Tracee Ellis Ross, Greta Lee, Sienna Miller, Madelyn Cline, Chloë Grace Moretz and Ava DuVernay

The fashion

The red carpet leaned glamorous. Theron wore an emerald-green fringed Givenchy gown with Jessica McCormack jewelry, one of the night’s most photographed looks. Alba chose a slinky black ruched Donna Karan dress. McConaughey wore Brioni, while Camila Alves McConaughey wore Sergio Hudson.

Serena Williams wore Clio Peppiatt, Tracee Ellis Ross wore Michael Kors, Demi Lovato opted for a Schiaparelli suit, and both Cynthia Erivo and Ava DuVernay wore Cong Tri. Charli xcx arrived in Roberto Cavalli, and Greta Lee wore Lii.

Why the gala mattered

The party had a purpose beyond the photos. Airbnb.org is an independent nonprofit that gives people free, temporary places to stay after disasters and in other crises. Guests stay for free while hosts are paid, and Airbnb covers the nonprofit’s operating costs so public donations go directly to housing.

The gala landed on the same day the company announced a new funding model. In a statement, Airbnb said that starting October 28 it will donate $0.10 of its revenue from every stay to Airbnb.org, with the goal of providing $500 million over five years and putting the nonprofit on a path to 1 million nights of free housing a year. The company said guests will not pay more and host payouts will not change.

Airbnb said the nonprofit has provided more than 1.6 million nights of free housing to over 250,000 people since it was founded in 2020, and that this year it has responded to more than 200 disasters, compared with eight in 2023.

Where the work is heading

The new funding is meant to push Airbnb.org beyond disaster response. According to the company, it plans to support families traveling for medical care in more than 20 countries by the end of 2026, launch a program offering temporary stays to survivors of domestic violence and exploitation, and expand support for U.S. veterans facing serious illness.

The idea traces back to 2012, when a host opened her home to people displaced by Hurricane Sandy. “That simple act of generosity grew into Airbnb.org,” co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky said in the announcement.

A new fixture on the calendar?

Fall in Los Angeles is crowded with charity galas, but a first-year event that pulls Theron, McConaughey, Williams and Charli xcx onto one carpet makes a statement. Whether Airbnb.org turns this into an annual tradition remains to be seen, but the inaugural night gave the nonprofit’s expansion a very visible launch.

The bottom line

Airbnb.org’s first gala brought star power and a clear message: free emergency housing is scaling up. With a per-stay funding model now in place, the stars’ red-carpet moment doubled as a kickoff for the nonprofit’s biggest growth push yet.

Image: Dusk shot of Central Los Angeles, California LCCN2013631560 by Carol M. Highsmith via Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain Mark 1.0