Inside Spring 2026’s Most Exclusive Celebrity Parties, Galas, and Events

Spring in New York City is full of charity galas, but Performance Space New York’s annual spring fundraiser stood out for its provocative theme and explicit embrace of kink culture. This year’s event, shaped by playwright Jordan Tannahill, leaned into a “Haute Fetish” dress code that replaced traditional black-tie formality with leather, latex, and BDSM-inspired style.

Tannahill, who recently found success with his off-Broadway play Prince Faggot, served as creative director for the gala and turned the evening into a deliberately boundary-pushing celebration of performance art and alternative aesthetics. The night honored fashion figure Michèle Lamy, artist Paul McCarthy, and writer Samuel R. Delany, each of whom is known for work that challenges convention and avoids respectability politics.

The gala’s tone was set by a lineup of hosts and performers chosen for their connection to queer nightlife, fashion, and performance art. Former dominatrix Julia Fox cohosted the event alongside photographer and model Richie Shazam, adding to the event’s irreverent, anti-establishment energy. Fox opened the night in an eye-catching costume designed to resemble a gala table, signaling that the fundraiser would embrace spectacle as much as philanthropy.

Throughout the evening, the event blended fundraising with humor, performance, and sexual frankness. Fox used her role on stage to remind guests that the gala was designed to be kink-friendly, and the crowd responded to the atmosphere of playful provocation. Comedian Julio Torres was brought onstage and questioned about his favorite kink, underscoring the event’s mix of performance art and tabloid-ready wit.

The gala reflected Performance Space New York’s long-standing identity as a venue for experimental and avant-garde work. Rather than staging a conventional benefit dinner, the organization used the occasion to amplify its mission through a party that celebrated artists who have built careers by rejecting norms. The event’s title, dress code, honorees, and hosts all pointed toward a single message: the arts can be supported through joy, subversion, and self-expression.

By centering fetish fashion, queer cultural figures, and irreverent stagecraft, the gala created a scene that was as much performance as fundraiser. For attendees, the evening offered a rare combination of high society and underground energy, with a mood that was intentionally playful, transgressive, and theatrical. The result was a spring gala that made philanthropy feel less polished and more alive, while still raising support for one of New York’s most experimental arts institutions.