See Inside The Spectacular 2019 Dîner en Blanc
Over 5000 Australians descended onto Tumbalong Park dressed in white
- by
Grace Back
Sometimes when trying to wrangle just a few friends for dinner, the task seems like one of life's greatest challenges. Imagine trying to organise an event of over 5000 Aussies. Add in the fact that you've got a strict dress code of all white and a secret location - the task seems near impossible. That's why every year, Sydney's Dîner en Blanc is one of the most spectacular things to witness.
The white dinner concept was founded 28 years ago in Paris by François Pasquier in what originally began as a “friends and word-of-mouth only” event. The iconic event has since grown internationally and has been hosted in incredible sites around the world, including the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Hudson River Park in New York and Kings Cross in London.
Antoine Bessis, Director of Le Dîner en Blanc Sydney, first introduced the Parisian-born concept to Sydney in 2012, welcoming over 1,500 guests to dine in front of the Museum of Contemporary Art. Since then, Le Dîner en Blanc Sydney has taken over Sydney’s iconic locations over the years, from Bondi Beach, McKay Field in Centennial Park, Sydney Opera House, Cockatoo Island, Brazilian Fields in Centennial Park; to 2018’s Hyde Park.
“Le Dîner en Blanc Sydney has established itself as a desired social gathering, promoting universal values like friendship and sharing, as thousands of people come together,” Bessis said. “Our eighth edition proved to be a tremendous success, as we gathered thousands of diners in one of Sydney’s newest CBD offerings, in the fantastic Darling Quarter precinct. We thank everyone who came together for this magical evening and celebrate the values of Le Dîner en Blanc.”
The global event prides itself on being the world's best-kept secret. Each year and for each city, the location is not released until hours prior to the event, where thousands of guests join together dressed in white for a night of food, drinks and togetherness. Even more spectacularly, the start of the event is marked with every guest waving their napkin - creating an incredible sea of white. To finish, each guest is given a sparkler which coincides with the start of the dance floor. The sight really is something to behold.
Below, get an inside look at the incredible 2019 event:
Grace Back
Grace Back is a journalist and was formerly the Digital Culture Editor across ELLE and marie claire Australia. When not stuck in a seemingly endless Instagram scroll, you'll find Grace with her head in a good book.
