On 11 September, the Royal Gentlemen Gala Dinner & Congress Awards will turn Venice’s historic Ca’ Sagredo into a private world of Black Tie elegance, international personalities, art, music, philanthropy and jewellery.There is the Venice everyone knows during Film Festival week: premieres, photographers, red carpets and boats arriving at the Lido.
And then there is the Venice that begins after the flashbulbs.
On Friday, 11 September 2026, Thomas Misse and Marek Harmony of the Royal Gentlemen Club, together with Anna Stukkert, founder of the Congress Awards, will bring that second Venice to life inside Ca’ Sagredo, the centuries-old palazzo overlooking the Grand Canal.The Royal Gentlemen Gala Dinner & Congress Awards will be built around La Dolce Vita, not simply as a dress code or decorative theme, but as the language of the entire evening.
Why Ca’ Sagredo?
Because in Venice, the location can tell half the story.
Ca’ Sagredo is far removed from the anonymity of a conventional event venue. Recognised as a National Monument, the historic palazzo still carries the atmosphere of a Venetian noble residence.
Its monumental staircase, frescoed rooms, historic salons and art collection preserve the legacy of generations of Venetian life. The Sagredo family were passionate collectors, and their influence remains visible throughout the property.
The result is something between a palace, a private residence and a living museum.
For one night, guests will not simply attend an event inside it. They will move through it.
Artistic moments, music, presentations and personal encounters are being woven into the historic rooms, allowing the character of the palazzo to reveal itself gradually as the evening unfolds.
A Gala That Does Not Want to Feel Like a Gala
What happens when you remove the usual formula of a large international reception?
The organisers are deliberately moving in another direction.
Instead of scale for the sake of scale, the focus will be on atmosphere. Instead of a programme dominated by spectacle, the evening is being designed around conversation, discovery and meaningful encounters.
Black Tie. Candlelight. Historic Venetian interiors. Art. Music. Jewellery. An international circle of guests.
The Royal Gentlemen Club, represented by Thomas Misse and Marek Harmony, will host the evening, while Anna Stukkert will present the Congress Awards programme.Together, the two formats create a meeting point between international society and recognition of individual achievement.
Why This Night, and Why Venice?
The date is no coincidence.From 2 to 12 September 2026, the 83rd Venice International Film Festival will once again place the lagoon at the centre of the international film world.
Actors, directors, producers, photographers, journalists and cultural figures will arrive for premieres and screenings, while beyond the official programme Venice becomes the setting for an extraordinary concentration of private dinners, meetings and international gatherings.
The Royal Gentlemen Gala Dinner enters this landscape with a deliberately different tempo.Away from the intensity of the traditional red carpet, guests will step inside a Venetian palazzo for a more intimate interpretation of international society and Italian Art de Vivre.
Who Will Be Recognised?
One of the central moments of the night will belong to the Congress Awards, the international recognition platform founded by Anna Stukkert.The awards highlight personalities whose influence reaches across public life, entrepreneurship, culture and philanthropy.
Among the expected laureates is Eric Adams, the 110th Mayor of New York City, who served from 2022 to 2025.His career has also included service as Brooklyn Borough President and as a New York State Senator.
His expected presence in Venice adds another layer to an evening intentionally bringing together worlds that do not always meet around the same table: civic leadership, business, culture and philanthropy.
Success Is One Story. Impact Is Another.
The evening’s definition of achievement extends beyond titles, visibility and professional success.
That idea will be represented by Alisa Roever, founder of Angels Helpers Foundation.Her participation introduces philanthropy as one of the evening’s connecting themes, placing charitable initiatives, social responsibility and community engagement alongside international recognition.
In the surroundings of Ca’ Sagredo, philanthropy will not appear as a separate chapter of the programme. It will become part of the broader conversation about what influence can mean today.
What Will Venice Sound Like That Night?
Not like background music.
Rezeda Kalimullina will appear as the evening’s Special Guest Singer, bringing 25 years of stage experience and an expressive repertoire crossing soul, jazz and pop.Her artistic journey has included mentorship from multiple Grammy-nominated American vocalist, pianist and composer Karen Edwards, whose own career has included performances with Stevie Wonder, Prince and Tony Bennett.
Kalimullina’s appearance is conceived as part of the narrative of the evening rather than simply entertainment between formal programme moments.
Music becomes another way of moving through the palace.
And What Does La Dolce Vita Look Like in Jewellery?
For Oliver Weber Collection, the answer begins with Venice itself.As Official Jewellery Partner of the evening, the Austrian-designed brand will present its new Dolce Vita Collection inside Ca’ Sagredo.
The collection draws its visual vocabulary from the city: reflections across the lagoon, Venetian architecture, Carnival, changing light and the theatrical character that makes Venice immediately recognisable.
New Swarovski® crystal colours are introduced within the collection while maintaining the brand’s signature focus on femininity, precision and refined craftsmanship.
Contemporary jewellery presented against centuries-old interiors creates an intentional contrast: new design meeting old Venice.
One Palace. One Night. Many Worlds.That may ultimately be the simplest way to understand what Thomas Misse, Marek Harmony and Anna Stukkert are creating.
A historic palazzo rather than a conventional ballroom.
An awards ceremony that sits alongside philanthropy.
Live music that becomes part of the surroundings.
A jewellery presentation inspired by the city in which it is unveiled.
And an international guest circle arriving in Venice at precisely the moment when the world’s attention is already fixed on the lagoon.
For one September night, Ca’ Sagredo will become its own interpretation of La Dolce Vita: less about spectacle for its own sake and more about beauty, conversation, culture and the people sharing the room.Because perhaps the real luxury of Venice has never been simply being seen.
It is knowing where to be after everyone has seen the red carpet.
Event Details
Royal Gentlemen Gala Dinner & Congress Awards: La Dolce Vita
Date: Friday, 11 September 2026Time: 6:30 pmVenue: Ca’ Sagredo Hotel, VeniceDress Code: Black Tie
Host: Royal Gentlemen ClubRoyal Gentlemen Club: Thomas Misse & Marek HarmonyCongress Awards: Founded by Anna StukkertOfficial Jewellery Partner: Oliver Weber CollectionSpecial Jewellery Presentation: Dolce Vita CollectionSpecial Guest Singer: Rezeda Kalimullina
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Press Contact: info@royalgentlemen.frCampo Santa Sofia, 4198/99 – Ca’ D’Oro30121 Venezia VE, Italyhttps://www.casagredohotel.com/
