Taylor Swift Closed the Academy Museum Gala With Four Songs; It Raised Over $14 Million

Taylor Swift closed the sixth annual Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles on October 17, 2026, performing four songs after the evening’s honors. The gala was held at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and honored Charlize Theron, Colman Domingo and John Carpenter. Haute Living reports that the night raised more than $14 million for the museum.

The Academy announced Swift’s appearance on October 8, nine days before the gala, according to E! News, so her appearance was known in advance. Haute Living says the event celebrated the museum’s fifth anniversary. Rolex is named as presenter in the museum’s honoree announcement.

Three Honorees and Their Awards

Charlize Theron received the Icon Award, presented by Sigourney Weaver. John Carpenter received the Luminary Award, presented by Robert Rodriguez, and Colman Domingo received the Vantage Award, presented by Tom Ford, according to Haute Living. The museum’s honoree announcement names the same three people.

The same three award names were used at the fourth annual gala in 2024, according to Haute Living’s report of that event. Quentin Tarantino received the Luminary Award that year, presented by John Travolta. Rita Moreno received the Icon Award, presented by Steven Spielberg, and Paul Mescal received the Vantage Award, presented by Saoirse Ronan.

Haute Living also credits Jamie Lee Curtis with introducing Rodriguez and Judd Apatow with introducing Ford. Yahoo Entertainment names Rodriguez and Ford among the gala’s co-chairs, along with Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw.

The Gala’s Fundraising Total
Haute Living reports that the sixth annual Academy Museum Gala raised more than $14 million. The museum’s honoree announcement says the gala raises significant support for its exhibitions, screenings and education programs.

Swift Closes the Evening With Four Songs

Conan O’Brien introduced Swift, according to Haute Living. That outlet describes her set as an intimate performance of some of her most beloved songs, and says it closed the celebration.

Yahoo Entertainment and E! News both list four songs in the same order. The set opened with “I Knew It, I Knew You,” the song from Toy Story 5, which Swift sang with background singers and saxophonists.

Swift then performed “Blank Space” (2014) and “Love Story” (2008), singing the second with a guitar.

The evening ended with “The Fate of Ophelia,” from The Life of a Showgirl. E! News lists the same four titles in the same order. It also reports that Swift changed from a baby blue Dior gown she wore on the red carpet into a sparkling cobalt dress for the stage.

In a June Instagram post, Swift wrote that she had always dreamed of getting to write for these characters, a reference to the Toy Story franchise she has loved since childhood, according to E! News.

An Early Announcement and a Museum Statement

The Academy first announced Swift’s appearance on October 8, according to E! News. Amy Homma, Director and President of the Academy Museum and Academy Collection, said in a statement that Swift is “an extraordinary talent” whose work resonates around the world.

Homma also welcomed guests at the fourth annual gala in 2024, when Eva Longoria introduced her, according to Haute Living’s report of that event.

Nine days separated the announcement from the performance on October 17, so her appearance was publicly known well before the night.

What the Night Raised and What It Funds

Haute Living reports that the sixth annual gala raised more than $14 million for the museum. The museum’s honoree announcement says the gala raises significant support for its exhibitions, screenings and education programs.

Haute Living gives a fuller list of uses: exhibitions, screenings, education initiatives, K-12 programs and access efforts serving the public and the Los Angeles community. The two descriptions overlap, and Haute Living’s list adds K-12 programs and access efforts to the three uses the museum names.

Haute Living’s 2024 report described the uses in similar terms, naming exhibitions, education initiatives and public programming, along with screenings, K-12 programs and access initiatives for the general public and the Los Angeles community.

The gala put three honors, a closing performance and a fundraising total into one evening.

The Fundraising Total Against the Fourth Annual Gala

Haute Living’s report of the fourth annual gala, published in October 2024, says that gala raised over $11 million. The sixth annual total of more than $14 million is the larger of the two figures.

Both reports give a minimum rather than an exact total, so the gap between the two cannot be measured precisely.

The 2024 report says that gala marked the museum’s three-year anniversary, while the 2026 report says the sixth gala celebrated the fifth. The 2024 report also describes a musical set, in which Ariana Grande introduced Cynthia Erivo, who performed a surprise set.

Partners, Co-Chairs and Event Design

Haute Living describes Rolex as the museum’s founding supporter and official watch partner, and as the presenting partner for the gala. A photo caption in Haute Living’s report describes the gala as in partnership with Rolex.

Tom Ford, Robert Rodriguez, Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw are named as co-chairs in both Yahoo Entertainment’s report and Haute Living’s. The 2024 Haute Living report lists a different group: Dr. Eric Esrailian, Salma Hayek Pinault, Nicole Kidman, Eva Longoria and Tyler Perry.

Haute Living also names guest chef Antonia Lofaso, who worked with Wolfgang Puck Catering on the menu. Bar partners were Tequila Don Julio, Clarendelle, Domaine Clarence Dillon, Piper-Heidsieck and Dassai. Keith Baptista handled event design, and Special Projects handled talent relations.

The gala put three honors, a closing performance and a fundraising total into one evening. Swift’s set came after the three awards had been presented.

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