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![A group photo of ten people at the DKMS London Gala 2025 showing the patient Nate Hoots with his family, his donor Nate, Dr. Elke Neujahr and Katharina Harf. They are all dressed in elegant evening attire, smiling in front of a grand staircase.]( "A group photo of ten people at the DKMS London Gala 2025 showing the patient Nate Hoots with his family, his donor Nate, Dr. Elke Neujahr and Katharina Harf. They are all dressed in elegant evening attire, smiling in front of a grand staircase.")
![The gala host and actor Dominic West stands on stage holding a microphone, addressing a seated audience at the DKMS London Gala 2025 inside The Natural History Museum with high arches and a large whale skeleton suspended above.]( "The gala host and actor Dominic West stands on stage holding a microphone, addressing a seated audience at the DKMS London Gala 2025 inside The Natural History Museum with high arches and a large whale skeleton suspended above.")
![The Hoots family, including the patient Jonah Hoots, his parents and his two siblings, is standing on the left and speaking to Katharina Harf, who stands on the right side of the stage. All are dressed in elegant evening attire. Katharina Harf and the parents are holding microphones in their hands in front of the big staircase and the DKMS logo, speaking about their journey at the DKMS London Gals 2025.]( "The Hoots family, including the patient Jonah Hoots, his parents and his two siblings, is standing on the left and speaking to Katharina Harf, who stands on the right side of the stage. All are dressed in elegant evening attire. Katharina Harf and the parents are holding microphones in their hands in front of the big staircase and the DKMS logo, speaking about their journey at the DKMS London Gals 2025.")
![British singer and songwriter Jessie Ware performs on stage at the DKMS London Gala 2025, holding a microphone and wearing a sparkling black and silver dress with big silver creoles. In the background the big staircase, red lighting and a female background singer, who also sings in a microphone, is seen.]( "British singer and songwriter Jessie Ware performs on stage at the DKMS London Gala 2025, holding a microphone and wearing a sparkling black and silver dress with big silver creoles. In the background the big staircase, red lighting and a female background singer, who also sings in a microphone, is seen.")
![Katharina Harf, Peter Harf, and Viktoria von Wulffen pose together at the DKMS London Gala 2025. Katharina Harf and her sister Viktoria von Wulffen are dressed in elegant red evening gowns. Their father Peter Harf, who is standing in the middle, is wearing a black suit. They are smiling in front of the stage with red lightning, a part of the DKMS logo and people in the background.]( "Katharina Harf, Peter Harf, and Viktoria von Wulffen pose together at the DKMS London Gala 2025. Katharina Harf and her sister Viktoria von Wulffen are dressed in elegant red evening gowns. Their father Peter Harf, who is standing in the middle, is wearing a black suit. They are smiling in front of the stage with red lightning, a part of the DKMS logo and people in the background.")
![Sue Y. Nabi stands in the middle of a group of ten people, all dressed in formal black attire. They are posing on the red carpet at the DKMS London Gala 2025, in front of a banner featuring DKMS, Coty and JAB logos.]( "Sue Y. Nabi stands in the middle of a group of ten people, all dressed in formal black attire. They are posing on the red carpet at the DKMS London Gala 2025, in front of a banner featuring DKMS, Coty and JAB logos.")
![Dr. Elke Neujahr, dressed in a with shirt and a red elegant shiny trousers, is standing in the middle of Peter McCleave and Bernd Weinel, both dressed in black tuxedos. They pose together on the red carpet at the DKMS London Gala 2025, standing in front of a black banner, branded with DKMS, Coty and JAB logos.]( "Dr. Elke Neujahr, dressed in a with shirt and a red elegant shiny trousers, is standing in the middle of Peter McCleave and Bernd Weinel, both dressed in black tuxedos. They pose together on the red carpet at the DKMS London Gala 2025, standing in front of a black banner, branded with DKMS, Coty and JAB logos.")
Press Release
DKMS Gala in London raises 1.6 million pounds
The DKMS London Gala, held in partnership with Coty and hosted by Dominic West at The Natural History Museum, featured the first-time meeting between a 4-year-old patient and the donor who saved his life, followed by a world-class performance by Jessie Ware.
DKMS is one of the most significant nonprofit organizations in the world dedicated to saving the live of people with blood cancer and other blood diseases. Over 500 guests celebrated its lifesaving mission at a star-studded gala on Thursday, May 15th at London's Natural History Museum, raising an awe-inspiring £1.6m. The annual event was hosted by the incredible Dominic West. Katharina Harf, Global Chair of DKMS, welcomed all guests with an emotional speech, while international singer and songwriter Jessie Ware brought the event to its crescendo with a world-class performance. In attendance were Isla Fischer, Alice Eve, David Hammerstein, Amber Nuttall, Tanya Bryer, Shell Rowe, Trudie Styler, Sheherazade Goldsmith and Matthew Freud, who came out in support of DKMS' lifesaving mission.
Introducing the Gala, Dominic West said: ”I am thrilled to be your guide tonight at the Natural History Museum, leading you not through halls of crustaceans and reptiles, but through the extraordinary work of DKMS. Today, DKMS has 12.5 million registered donors and those donors have already provided a second chance at life to 125,000 patients...The reason I am here today to support this cause is because my mum died of leukemia, so please give as much as you can…and possibly a little bit more. Tonight, we’re going to create more lifelines…more second chances…more hope… laughter… and joy.”
During the evening's auction, Dominic encouraged guests to give generously, noting with humor that he had spotted handbags in the room worth as much as the starting bid. Trudie Styler set the tone with a standout donation of £10,000, soon matched by Matthew Freud, which galvanized the guests into action.
The musical highlight of the night came with a captivating performance by Jessie Ware, who opened with evocative covers of Cher's "Believe" and "Does Anyone Know How to Free Themselves?" Urging the audience to "stop being so British," Jessie inspired actresses Alice Eve and Isla Fisher to take to the dance floor, soon joined by many others, succeeding in transforming the room into a vibrant celebration in support of the evening's cause.
The Gala featured a very special moment, when 4-year-old Jonah from Orange, California met his donor who saved his life, Nate from Zephyrhills, Florida, for the first time. The Gala also highlighted the powerful shared experience of mothers who have fought to save their children from HLH, a rare and life-threatening disorder, drawing attention to the global community of mothers who have faced the same battle, shining a light on the vital role of stem cell donors and the impact of maternal advocacy, an advocacy that is deeply rooted in DKMS's own history.
Today, DKMS has over 12.5 million donors registered worldwide, providing over 125,000 second chances at life for patients in over 60 countries. DKMS is the biggest stem cell donor center in the UK, yet there is still a great need for more. Every 14 minutes, someone in the UK is diagnosed with blood cancer, which is the fifth most common cause of cancer death. For many of these patients, a stem cell transplant is the only hope for survival. By recruiting more donors, DKMS can give patients both in the UK and across the globe a second chance at life. Information on how to sign up can be found below.
The crucial funds raised at the Gala will aid the organization's international work in saving patients with blood cancer and blood disorders.
Katharina Harf, Global Chair of DKMS, said, “My father continues to grow one of the world’s largest organizations to fight blood cancer and blood diseases. I am proud to stand by his side, together with my sister Viktoria.”
Sue Nabi, Chief Executive Officer, Coty, said: "For over 30 years, we've been proud to support DKMS in their extraordinary mission to fight blood cancers and blood disorders around the world. This partnership is deeply personal to us - more than 2,300 of our Coty team members have joined the DKMS registry through our drives, and several have gone on to become lifesaving donors. Tonight, we celebrate not only the incredible impact of DKMS but also the hope, resilience, and humanity that drive this vital work forward."
Dominic West, actor and gala host, said, "It was an honor to host the DKMS Gala and stand alongside such an inspiring charity that is quite literally saving lives every day. The stories we heard tonight of courage, hope, and the incredible power of matching stem cell donors were a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when we come together. I'm proud to support DKMS and the vital work they do."