Dame Joanna Lumley DBE FRGS will lead a special candlelit Christmas concert at St Peter’s Church, Eaton Square, London, on 3 December, raising vital funds for children affected by Sudan’s devastating humanitarian crisis.

Marking the 25th anniversary of the British charity Kids for Kids, the concert will bring together distinguished supporters, musicians and guests for an evening of festive celebration and humanitarian solidarity. A longstanding patron of the charity, Dame Joanna will deliver the principal Christmas reading and join the celebrity choir, alongside fellow patrons Julie Etchingham and Lord Cope of Berkeley PC.

The programme will feature performances by the Junior and Senior Choirs of Queen’s Gate School, organist Ian Curror, harpist Les Magee, soprano Bibi Heal accompanied by conductor and pianist Stephen Barlow, and Thames Fanfare Brass.

Beyond the festivities, the evening will draw attention to the worsening humanitarian emergency in Sudan, where ongoing conflict has displaced millions and left an estimated 21 million people facing acute food insecurity. Darfur remains particularly vulnerable, with remote communities struggling to access essential food, healthcare and humanitarian assistance.

Founded in 2001 by Patricia Parker OBE, Kids for Kids has spent 25 years supporting disadvantaged communities in Darfur through sustainable, village-led development initiatives. Its programmes include goat loans providing nutritious milk for children, access to clean water, maternal healthcare, education and agricultural support. The charity currently assists 110 villages, many of which are also sheltering families displaced by the conflict.

As humanitarian needs intensify, Kids for Kids is expanding its emergency response, providing protein-rich food supplies and seeds to help families survive the immediate crisis while safeguarding future harvests.

The anniversary concert offers an opportunity for London’s diplomatic and international community to demonstrate solidarity with Sudanese families facing extraordinary hardship, while supporting practical, locally focused humanitarian assistance.

The concert begins at 7pm on Thursday 3 December, followed by mulled wine and mince pies. Tickets are available for a minimum donation of £39.50 for adults and £18 for children, with proceeds supporting emergency food and aid programmes in Darfur.

Further information and tickets: www.kidsforkids.org.uk/event/christmas2026