The Macmillan Centenary Gala

We love saying thank you to our supporters. And that’s exactly what we did last November when we hosted a gala at the London Palladium to celebrate our centenary. The event saw top performers giving their time for free and taking to the stage to pay homage to our 100 years of cancer support. 

Macmillan supporters arrived in their thousands and walked the glamorous green carpet. After taking their seats and packing the venue to the rafters, they were entertained by some excellent acts who were all performing for free. 

A night to remember...

Graham Norton hosted the evening and took the audience on a characteristically witty jaunt through Macmillan’s history, starting back in the days of Douglas Macmillan. There were sensational performances from the casts of much-loved musicals like The Lion King and Jersey Boys. Side-splitting comedy came courtesy of Miranda Hart and Jason Manford, and superb showbiz turns were delivered by Matt Cardle, Jimmy Osmond and Diversity.

And it didn’t stop there. Macmillan ambassador Katherine Jenkins dazzled the audience with some heartfelt renditions of her best-known songs. But the true stars of the show were a team of our very own Macmillan nurses who’d bravely volunteered to show off their moves. Armed with gold, glittering top hats and dance steps taught by Arlene Phillips, they earned themselves a well-deserved standing ovation. 

Every event makes a difference...

Not only did the gala bag us some great media coverage, but it was a fantastic way for us to say thank you to our wonderful supporters. If you were one of the lucky revellers there, we hope you had fun. Also, a big thank you to our partner Boots UK for sponsoring this fabulous event. 

You can catch up on all the behind-the-scenes action in our video in the digital version of Mac News. To find out how to subscribe, just turn to the back page. And if you fancy getting involved in other events to help fund our vital services, just head to our events page|.