The Roundhouse Rise Up Gala, held on Wednesday, March 25 in Camden, was the venue’s largest fundraising event to date, with all proceeds going towards its creative programmes for 11 to 30-year-olds.
Michael Palin was among the celebrity guests at the event, which was hosted by wheelchair basketball player and television presenter Ade Adepitan.
The gala also welcomed musician Ronnie Wood and his wife Sally, alongside playwright Lolita Chakrabarti, singer Tom Odell, and actor Sanjeev Bhaskar.
Other notable guests included Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason and Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford.
Marcus Davey, CEO and artistic director of the Roundhouse, said: “It was one of those evenings that went in a flash, but the impact will be felt for years. We’re so grateful to everyone who came out in force and whose extraordinary generosity helped us raise an astonishing £1.4 million – the highest ever achieved from a Roundhouse Gala.
“This remarkable sum will transform thousands of young lives, supporting studio members, programme participants and the young creatives who light up our Three Sixty Festival. Events like this are about so much more than just the evening itself, and tonight proved that in the most inspiring way.”
The evening featured performances by Gabrielle Aplin, Rick Astley, Kim Wilde, Chanel Haynes, and Sharleen Spiteri, who shared the stage with emerging talent from the Roundhouse’s young creatives programme, including singer BINA., poet Bradley Taylor, and current Roundhouse Resident Artist YAZ.
The venue recently announced that it has engaged more than 100,000 young people through its programmes since reopening nearly 20 years ago.
Adepitan, a Roundhouse ambassador and the event’s host, said: “This is the hardest time ever for young people – trying to get jobs, trying to buy homes, trying to move on. This is our future and this is our chance to give back.
“The Roundhouse is an incredible beacon for that. This place, I see it as an iceberg. We all look and see what it does on the surface – the iconic live music venue that everyone wants to perform in, that has amazing music.
“But what makes this place special is what goes on beneath. It’s the reach we have, it’s the lives we change.”
A highlight of the evening was an auction of exclusive experiences, including a private improv session with Academy Award-winner Daniel Kaluuya, seven nights of unparalleled luxury in the Austrian Arlberg alps and a ride with Olympic cyclist Ethan Hayter.
