Nile Rodgers & Chic will headline the 20th annual DKMS gala, a black-tie fundraiser for the international blood cancer and blood disorder charity, taking place at Cipriani Wall Street in New York on 15 October. The event matters because it marks two decades of the gala raising funds for stem cell donor registration, transplant access in low and middle-income countries, and blood cancer research, while also spotlighting real stories of patients and donors whose lives have intersected through the charity's work.

This year's event will centre on the story of Ezra, an 11-year-old from California diagnosed with a rare, aggressive leukaemia, and his donor Dallas Wilson, a Nashville songwriter-producer who registered with DKMS over 15 years ago and donated weeks before his own wedding; Ezra received the transplant in May 2025. Alongside Rodgers, a cancer survivor himself, and Chic's live concert, the evening will feature a performance by New York City Ballet principal dancer Joseph Gordon. DKMS was founded 35 years ago by Dr Peter Harf in memory of his wife, who died of leukaemia, and has since registered over 13.5 million donors across seven countries; past honourees and performers include Vera Wang, Ariana Grande, Rihanna and Jon Bon Jovi.