Soca star Kes to headline Gotham Health Masquerade Gala at the Met

Soca superstar Kes will bring the sound of Carnival to one of the world’s most celebrated museums on Nov. 12 when NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health holds its 2026 Masquerade Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The Trinidad and Tobago artist, whose band is known as KestheBand, will give an exclusive live performance as the centerpiece of the evening, which begins at 6:30 p.m. Proceeds will support early childhood development programs for children and families across all five boroughs.

Kes, whose full name is Kees Dieffenthaller, was named Male Soca Artist of the Year at the Caribbean Music Awards. His band blends soca, calypso, reggae, R&B and pop. Hits including “Hello,” “Wotless,” and “Savannah Grass” are staples of Carnival celebrations and dance floors worldwide.

“When Kes takes the stage at the Met, all of New York is going to feel it,” said Michelle Lewis, CEO of Gotham Health. “This is a night people will be talking about for years, and it is for a cause that will matter for generations.”

Titled “Every Child Thrives,” the gala will bring together leaders in health care, philanthropy, business, government and culture. Every ticket, table, and sponsorship will benefit Gotham Health’s Childhood Development Initiative.

The initiative aims to expand access to developmental screening, early diagnosis, specialty pediatric care, integrated family support services, and stronger referral pathways for children across the city.

“Every child deserves the opportunity to thrive,” Lewis said. “The support raised on Nov. 12 will help us identify developmental needs earlier, connect families to care sooner and strengthen the services children need during the most important years of their development.”

Organizers said the choice of Kes’ hit “Hello” is fitting. Gotham Health says the gala is a way of saying hello to new possibilities for families of children with developmental delays and disabilities, by making specialized care easier to reach.

As a Federally Qualified Health Center, Gotham Health serves New Yorkers regardless of their ability to pay. Officials said funds raised will help ensure a family’s ZIP code or income never determines a child’s future.

Money raised at the gala will help expand pediatric developmental and behavioral health services, strengthen early screening and diagnostic pathways, recruit and train specialized pediatric clinicians, advance clinical tools, technology and diagnostic capacity, and provide integrated family navigation and wraparound support services.