Airavata Gala Dinner 2026: Phnom Penh Comes Together for Cambodia's Elephants

Editorial team
3 hours ago
4 min read

Last night, the Sun & Moon Riverside Hotel in Phnom Penh played host to an evening like no other. Under traditional Khmer music, more than 500 guests — officials, entrepreneurs and friends of the cause — gathered for the 12th edition of the Airavata Foundation's gala dinner, held in support of elephant conservation in Cambodia. Between traditional dance, a live auction and an outpouring of generosity, the evening once again proved a resounding success for the foundation.

*Officials, dignitaries and young dancers gather for the opening photo call*

A Solemn Opening, Between Tradition and Official Support

From 4:00 pm, the first guests arrived at the Sun & Moon Riverside Hotel, welcomed with traditional Khmer music around a welcome cocktail. The evening truly began at 5:35 pm with opening remarks and the introduction of the guests of honour. What followed was a striking moment: the Buong Suong ritual ceremony, followed by a film retracing the foundation's recent work and a performance by the Norodom Buppha Devi dance school.

Airavata Foundation president Mrs Chenda Clais-Khay took the floor to welcome guests, before handing over to the evening's master of ceremonies, H.E. Net Pheaktra, Minister of Information and Honorary President of the Airavata Foundation. H.E. Sar Sokha, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Honorary Co-Chair of the evening, then delivered an address praising the foundation's commitment to protecting the species and its natural habitat.

*Certificates of appreciation presented to guests of honour and partners*

The Clais Family, Quiet Champions of Conservation at Katieng

Behind the gala's bright lights lies a field commitment that has spanned more than a decade, led by the Clais family hundreds of kilometres away. On the banks of the Katieng River, a few kilometres from Banlung, Pierre-Yves and Chenda Clais set out to save the very last captive elephants of Ratanakiri province. Their site, nestled within a protected forest area along the river, has become a sanctuary where Brao mahouts care for the elephants using respectful, non-intrusive methods, far removed from mass tourism. Patient, largely unpublicised work — yet its year-on-year consistency is precisely what gives Phnom Penh's gala dinner its meaning and legitimacy.

Unwavering Generosity for the 2026 Campaign

The official launch of the 2026 fundraising campaign set the tone for an evening firmly focused on solidarity. Three key moments punctuated the giving: a live auction of around thirty items, followed by a collection accompanied by a performance from the association 'Sourires d'Espoir pour l'Enfance', and a third wave of giving driven by a display of traditional Khmer dance and martial arts, an intangible cultural heritage recognised by UNESCO. At every stage, the audience's generosity was met with warm applause.

Corporate partners, hotels and individual donors turned out once again with unwavering commitment: many have stood by the foundation since its earliest days, a loyalty that confirms just how firmly this annual event is now rooted in Phnom Penh's charitable calendar. Beneath the same wall of sponsor logos, long-standing partners and newcomers alike stood side by side in support of the cause. Certificates of appreciation were presented to them, as well as to the guests of honour, closing out this segment of the evening under the photographers' flashes.

*Three guests capture the evening in front of the sponsor wall*

Ratanakiri Crafts, Jewellery and Spirits: Stalls That Tell Cambodia's Story

Between courses, guests browsed a carefully curated line-up of stalls: clothing and textiles, jewellery, handcrafted pieces from Ratanakiri province, and a tasting corner devoted to spirits, where the Amarula house poured its cream liqueurs infused with African fruit. A blend of styles that mirrored the evening itself — rooted in Cambodian tradition yet open to the world, with woven baskets, krama scarves and designer jackets hanging side by side.

*The craft stall, with clothing, krama scarves and jewellery on display*

Royal Dance and Contemporary Rhythms

As every year, the evening's highlight came from the dancers of the Norodom Buppha Devi school, dressed in dazzling gold costumes, who enchanted the room with pieces drawn from Khmer folklore — forest legends and scenes of rural life, set against projected images of the Ratanakiri landscapes where wild elephants still roam. The harvest dance struck a particular chord with the audience, performed alongside young artists from the association 'Sourires d'Espoir pour l'Enfance'.

The evening then took a more contemporary turn with performances from Yun Mondeth, a young rapper from Ratanakiri, and Sathya, a Khmer artist based in Australia, before an Airavata ambassador closed out the official musical programme. Past 9:00 pm, the stage opened up to free performances from artists and willing guests alike.

*Dancers of the Norodom Buppha Devi school perform on stage*

A Warm Atmosphere Through to the End of Dinner

Around the white-clothed round tables, the crowd mixed business leaders, journalists and familiar faces from Phnom Penh's charity circuit, in a distinctly warm, unpretentious atmosphere. Souvenir photos in front of the sponsor wall, selfies between friends in evening dresses, animated conversation over a drink: the Airavata gala once again showed its ability to bring together, for one evening, worlds that rarely cross paths outside a shared cause. Dinner wrapped up around 9:30 pm, in the same good spirits it began with.

*A dancer in a traditional gold costume during the performance*

A Fixture on Phnom Penh's Social Calendar

Twelve years after its creation, the Airavata gala dinner confirms its place as a flagship event on Cambodia's charitable calendar. Beyond the funds raised — the final figure to be announced by the foundation in the coming days — this 2026 edition will be remembered for mobilising an entire community, Cambodian and international alike, around the protection of the Asian elephant. See you next year.