Daffodil Dancefloor to Bloom

CW: Cancer, familial loss.

On Friday 28^th August, San Fran will come alive with Pōneke’s best dance music as more than 15 DJ’s take the decks from six o’clock all the way until three in the morning. All of them are doing it for free, with the entirety of profits set to be donated to Cancer Society New Zealand.

The fundraiser, dubbed Daffodil Dancefloor, is the brainchild of Ben Bonetti. Together with Gabe Stuart, Jessica Arndt, and Seini Denicaucau, as well as the support of countless other people who have donated their time to the cause, the event is a major collaborative effort. Its timing aligns with the Cancer Society’s Daffodil Day, a charity drive that aims to raise awareness and resources for specialist cancer care, research, and patient transport and accommodation. 

At its heart, Daffodil Dancefloor is led by people who have been affected by cancer. Jessica Arndt, who lost her father to the disease last year, says that the event is going to be “huge, and really emotional.” 

“We’re really excited to do whatever we can in the face of cancer. What else can you fucking do except have a boogie and raise some money?”

Arndt says that the fundraiser had its inception last year, where it was “thrown together in a week,” but that the scale has changed. 

“We’ve been preparing for this since early June, however it’s been in the talks since Daffodil Day last year.”

“It’s going to be bigger and more beautiful, we’re going to raise a shit ton more money.”

She says that the aim is to sell out, with a fundraising goal of $5000. 

Arndt is managing the visual communication side of things, designing promotional material and merchandise that will be for sale on the night. As a recent graduate from Te Herenga Waka with a Bachelor of Design Innovation and a Bachelor of Arts & Political Science, she says that the skills she has learnt at university have transferred well to the fundraiser. 

“It’s about people, how they interact with the world, both the physical and the non-physical societal structures. I think weirdly enough design and politics collide quite beautifully in a project like this, where it’s all about helping people navigate those structures.”

She says that the event is more than a means of raising money.

“This all came from us feeling quite hopeless in the face of how much cancer we’ve been seeing in our lives recently. Now, we’re controlling what we can in a situation that seems entirely out of our control.”  

Seini Denicaucau, whose mother also passed from cancer in 2025, says that she hopes what will set the event apart is its high energy. 

“People can expect good vibes, community, everything that makes the Wellington dance scene so good, amplified because it’s for such a good cause.”

Denicaucau, who is playing the event as well as managing the physical takeaways, is currently studying a Bachelor of Communications and a Bachelor of Commerce at Te Herenga Waka. She says that it has been useful applying core university concepts to real life, and that she is grateful to have a hands-on part. 

“I’m definitely putting my marketing degree to use!” she laughed. 

Denicaucau says that there will be dance music for everyone: “the night starts pretty chill with some dub, some disco funk, and then as the night progresses it will get a bit harder and faster.”

She says that “putting a positive light on something that’s so sad” is a “win for everybody.”

“I think you realise how much cancer affects so many people and it’s nice to connect, knowing you have homies out there.”

Currently, one in three New Zealanders will receive a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime, with 81 diagnosed every single day.

As Arndt put it, “theres no better way to say ‘fuck you’ to cancer than getting a whole group of people together dancing, laughing, boogying– just being in each other’s company.” 

Tickets and full line-up will be available via the SanFran website.