Dîner en Blanc

Time to get your glamour on, Darwin. It’s ‘tres chic’ mass picnic meets mystery date with beauty and fine taste, at the inaugural Le Dîner en Blanc.

The concept originated in Paris, where 30 years ago Francois Pasquier held a dinner party to reconnect with a diverse bunch of friends. He asked them to meet in a public place dressed in white so they’d recognise each other, and to bring a friend. Such a fabulous time was had by all that they decided to do it every year.

Fast forward and Le Dîner en Blanc has become an international phenomenon with more than 100,000 guests attending events in 60 cities throughout 25 countries. But the original intention remains – a simple gathering of friends in a garden – and the winning recipe for the evening is much the same.

The location of the dinner is kept secret until the night. Guests gather on the evening at appointed departure points and are ferried by buses to a public space in their city. Everyone has to dress in white and bring their food and picnic gear with them, with an emphasis on elegance, gallantry, sharing and friendship.

Darwin co-host Anisha Stitfold, along with Marijana Tadic and Britta Decker, says Darwin is an ideal place for such a concept. 
“Our stunning landscape and a shared passion for celebrating outdoors with fine food, wine and friends make this the perfect city to host Diner en Blanc,” said Stitfold.

It’s like staging a massive art installation. 

“The artists are also the audience. Every single person comes in their white outfit, with their creative tableware and crockery. They all come together and fill a previously empty public space forming this huge moving piece of art over four hours. It’s really beautiful.”

For more information on the event go to https://darwin.dinerenblanc.com/