British Museum Red Ball brings £30m gift, stars and street protest
An anonymous donor pledged £30m to the British Museum in London at its Red Ball gala on 17 October 2026, as about 60 demonstrators gathered outside its main entrance.
The gala drew television presenter Maya Jama, actor Benedict Cumberbatch and London Mayor Sadiq Khan as guests. Financier Igor Tulchinsky served as honorary chair, a titular role given to a leading supporter, in recognition of his support for the museum, according to The Art Newspaper.
Outside, the group Energy Embargo for Palestine staged a protest calling on the museum to end partnerships with oil companies and tech billionaires. Protesters beamed light projections reading 'Drop BP' and 'Blood Ball' onto the museum facade during the event.
The protest referenced two existing relationships. The museum accepted a £50m sponsorship deal with BP in 2023. It also hosted an Israeli Embassy-organised Israeli Independence Day event in May 2025. Tulchinsky reportedly gave £5m in sponsorship for the museum's Bayeux Tapestry exhibition.
For fans, this means the red carpet and the pavement told two different stories on the same night. One was about dresses and donations. The other was about slogans in light.
The £30m gift is separate from the yet-to-be-announced total raised on the night. Both will go toward the museum's masterplan redevelopment, the long-term rebuilding programme estimated to cost at least £1bn. The plan includes reworking the Western range, new welcome pavilions and an energy centre to reduce carbon footprint.
Inside the gala, attendee Georgie Robertson wore a red dress with the message 'return the marbles' and posed in front of the Parthenon Marbles display.
Last year's fundraising ball, called the Pink Ball, raised £2.5 million and was used to announce a £10.3 million donation from the Garfield Weston Foundation towards its Visitor Welcome Programme, according to the Museums Association. Tickets for the 2026 ball cost £3,500, according to Ocula. The protest group has previously called in an Instagram post for an ethics committee comprising trustees, directorate members and union representatives.
