Kate Beckinsale wows in a sparkling purple frilled gown at the amFAR Cannes gala

She is a fixture on the red carpet.

And Kate Beckinsale continued to show off her daring sense of style in a stunning purple shimmering dress as she arrived on Thursday for the annual amfAR Cannes Gala.

The actress, 49, was a glamorous figure in her striking purple dress with a shimmering overlay as she arrived for the star-studded event.

Kate’s dress boasted a dynamic angular neckline and a bold tiered skirt as she posed ahead of the event at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc.

The sleeveless dress definitely stood out thanks to its unusual styling, which Kate put on full display.

Kate swept her lustrous brunette locks into a sleek updo and completed her look with sparkling silver drop earrings.

On Thursday, the star-studded amfAR Gala Cannes took place at the legendary Hotel Du Cap Eden Roc Cap D’Antibes.

Queen Latifah hosted what is the most popular party at the annual Cannes Film Festival, which raises millions of dollars for AIDS and HIV research and awareness.

Guests enjoyed musical performances from Halsey, Adam Lambert, Bebe Rexha and Gladys Knight, while sipping Clase Azul Gold and Reposado tequila from Mexico’s first luxury spirit brand.

Clase Azul is Mexico’s premier luxury spirits brand and makers of Clase Azul Reposado that celebrity guests will enjoy at the party.

It retails from £220 and can be purchased in Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Harrods, as well as the world’s best bars, restaurants and members’ clubs.

The posh amfAR gala also included a fashion show, curated by Carine Roitfeld, and a fundraising auction by Simon de Pury.

Included in the auction were Cecily Brown’s latest work – created especially for amfAR – and a 2016 signed Damien Hirst artwork by Leonardo DiCaprio.

AmfAR Gala Cannes co-chairs include Angela Bassett, Kate Beckinsale, Robert De Niro, Ethan Hawke, Scarlett Johansson, Milla Jovovich, Eva Longoria and Heidi Klum.

amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is one of the world’s leading non-profit organizations dedicated to supporting AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and advocacy.

In April 1983, Dr. Mathilde Krim and Dr. Joseph Sonnabend, along with Michael Callen and several others in New York City, founded the AIDS Medical Foundation (AMF).

It was the world’s first private organization dedicated to raising funds to support scientific and medical research on AIDS. In 1984 the first research grants were awarded.

In September 1985, amfAR was formed through AMF’s association with the like-minded National AIDS Research Foundation, which had been established in August 1985 in California.

Since then, amfAR has invested nearly $617 million in its programs and awarded more than 3,500 grants to research teams around the world.

amfAR Gala Cannes has raised more than $245 million in total for amfAR’s life-saving AIDS research.

This extraordinary success has enabled the Foundation to make crucial research investments to bring a cure for HIV within reach.

amfAR’s research investments have contributed to the development of antiretroviral drugs that keep millions of people alive and helped eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV in many parts of the world.

And amfAR has fueled a scientific community that, once highly skeptical, has largely embraced the idea that a cure is not only possible, but achievable in our lifetime.

Today amfAR supports a range of healing strategies. For example, a new grant initiative called ARCHE-GT supports teams of researchers exploring gene therapy approaches for healing.

Importantly, the researchers are tasked with developing an intervention that can be administered by injection, increasing the likelihood that, if effective, it can be administered without complicated laboratory procedures.

Since the start of the pandemic, approximately 84.2 million people have contracted HIV and more than 40 million people have died from AIDS-related illnesses.