LONDON — The British Museum made history this weekend with its first annual fundraising ball, and the glamour in the Great Court almost matched the grandeur of the ancient jewels, Egyptian sarcophagi and Parthenon sculptures on display in the surrounding galleries of the 18th century Greek revival building.

The theme was pink — inspired by the light and colors of India — and the event coincided with the exhibition, “Ancient India: living traditions,” a look at how early devotional art from the region has influenced contemporary culture. The show wrapped up this weekend after a successful five-month run.

Behind the “Pink Ball” was arts patron and business woman Isha Ambani, who co-chaired the event with Nicholas Cullinan, the museum’s director, who took over last year.

The 900 guests, who paid 2,000 pounds a ticket, came from a variety of industries, and included Mick Jagger, Kristin Scott Thomas, Steve McQueen, Tracey Emin, Antony Gormley, Grayson Perry, Erin O’Connor, Naomi Campbell and former U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty.

Guests walked a pink carpet through the courtyard and up the steps of the museum, where the evening featured music performances by the Grammy-nominated sitarist Anoushka Shankar and Grammy-winning Jules Buckley Orchestra.

Ambani, who co-chaired the event, described the evening as “a celebration of age-old creativity. In India, pink is the color of warmth, welcome and joy. It evokes a spirit of openness and grace integral to our culture.” She said the aim of the fundraiser was to “celebrate the rich creative legacy of India, and to further cultural conversations globally.”

In an interview, Ambani added that it was her family’s idea to back the exhibition, and that led to her step up and organize the fundraiser.

“We are always keen to support the showcasing of Indian heritage and culture globally, something my mother [Nita Ambani] initiated and instilled in us as children. The ball was the perfect creative gathering to mark the end of the exhibition and to foster dialogue around India and its cultural legacy,” Ambani said.

Ambani’s support for Indian culture didn’t end with the organization of Saturday night’s event. On the night, she showcased the detail and complexity of Indian couture, wearing a look by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, the label founded by India’s “leading designer duo.”

Ambani said she wanted her outfit to “truly reflect the soul of our craftsmanship” — and that’s just what designers Jani and Khosla delivered.

“The cropped jacket with a slim skirt is a silhouette I love, inspired by the vintage archives of iconic fashion houses. And, of course, to reflect the theme of the Pink Ball, which celebrates India’s warmth, welcome and joy, the zardozi [a traditional, elaborate metal embroidery technique] was done in pink rather than gold, for the first time. The blush of the threads gives a fresh, modern take on this timeless technique,” Ambani said.

The embroidery with pearls, sequins and crystals, she said, was inspired by centuries-old palace frescoes and tapestries.

“The motifs were drawn from [the designers’] archives, reimagined, and painstakingly hand-stitched, taking more than 35 artisans and almost 3,670 hours to create. They even crafted these beautiful hand-embroidered slippers to complete the look,” she said.

Ambani’s mother Nita also paid tribute to India’s artisans with her look. She wore a powder pink Kanjivaram sari from Swadesh that was handwoven by a master artisan from the town of Kanchipuram in India. It was made from mulberry silk and embellished with pure gold. Her corset blouse was from the Mumbai-based designer Manish Malhotra.

Isha Ambani divides her time between her support for the arts and the family business, Reliance Industries, which stretches from energy and retail to media and digital services.

Earlier this year, she chaired the inaugural host committee, alongside Michael Bloomberg, for the 2025 Serpentine Summer Party in London, and is the driving force behind the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, or NMACC, in Mumbai, an institution that has helped to redefine India’s cultural landscape and foster cross-cultural collaboration globally.

Ambani also serves on the boards of LACMA, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, and the Yale Schwarzman Center, a performing and fine arts hub in New Haven, Conn. She currently leads major strategic initiatives across Reliance Retail, India’s largest retailer, and is helping to shape the vision of Reliance Foundation, with a focus on women, children, education and the arts.

Saturday night’s fundraiser was partly in support of the British Museum’s international partnerships with countries such as India, Nigeria and Iraq.

Next year, the museum is planning a cultural exchange with the Bayeux Tapestry Museum in Normandy, France. The tapestry, which depicts the Norman conquest of England in 1066, will be displayed at the British Museum from September 2026 to July 2027.

In return, some of the U.K.’s greatest treasures from Sutton Hoo — the site of two Anglo-Saxon cemeteries dating from the 6th to 7th centuries in Suffolk, England — will be displayed to audiences in museums across Normandy.