Gold House’s 2026 Gold Gala Kicks Off AAPI Heritage Month With “A New Gold World”

Gold House opened Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with its fifth annual Gold Gala, returning to the historic Music Center in downtown Los Angeles on May 9 for what has quickly become the definitive “Asian Pacific Met Gala.” More than 650 leaders from entertainment, business, tech, fashion, and social impact circles turned out to honor the 2026 Gold100 List, which spotlights the 100 Asian Pacific figures most responsible for shaping global culture over the past year.

This year’s theme, “A New Gold World,” framed the night as a call to build shared abundance and connection in an increasingly divided era, positioning Asian Pacific cultural power as a force that can bring communities closer together rather than silo them. Gold House co‑founder and CEO Bing Chen underscored that what began as a community milestone has evolved into a worldwide cultural convening, with the gala now functioning as an annual anchor for cross‑industry collaboration and AAPI visibility.

Cover for Gold Gala 2026 (Via: Goldhouse.org)

Onstage, the program mixed the Gold100 roll call with special honors for global stars and industry leaders. Priyanka Chopra Jonas received the Global Vanguard Honor, joined by fellow honorees Charles Melton, Jet Li, Simu Liu, Eileen Gu, and Flex CEO Revathi Advaithi, among others, recognized for transforming film, sport, and business while expanding how Asian Pacific leadership looks on the world stage. Gold100 honorees including songwriter EJAE and investor Theresia Gouw also took the mic to represent categories spanning entertainment, business and technology, fashion and lifestyle, social impact, and sports and gaming, outlining their visions for the future of their industries.

The gold carpet doubled as a fashion moment, with guests embracing a “heritage‑inspired black tie” dress code that translated into embroidered details, traditional textiles, and silhouettes nodding to everything from hanbok and sari to barong and qipao. Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Eileen Gu, Charles Melton, Simu Liu, and a wave of next‑gen talent topped best‑dressed lists, reinforcing the gala’s reputation as a style barometer for pan‑Asian and Pacific Islander glamour.

Inside the ballroom, Gold House continued to center Asian and Pacific flavors by partnering with OpenTable on a three‑course menu led by James Beard Award–winning chef Justin Pichetrungsi and his Anajak Thai team from Sherman Oaks, pairing the meal with cocktails built around AAPI ingredients. The night wrapped with the Billboard‑backed Gold Founders Party, featuring RuPaul’s Drag Race performers, DJ sets, a Hennessy mahjong area, a photo studio, and a karaoke room, turning the gala into a late‑night playground that blended queer Asian nightlife, home‑table nostalgia, and cross‑industry networking.

Five years in, the 2026 Gold Gala read less like a breakthrough and more like a standing institution: a place where red‑carpet visibility, corporate power, and community‑driven joy meet under one roof at the start of AAPI Heritage Month.

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