On March 15th Auckland will join in with the global phenomenon that is Dinner en Blanc. If you’ve not yet heard of this elusive event, Dinner en Blanc is the world’s largest secret dinner party. Now being embraced by cities all over the world, the event began in Paris in 1988, created in the form of a picnic by Francois Pasquier.
Hosted in the Bois de Boulogne, Pasquier asked his guests to each bring a friend and dress in white. The ‘white dinner party’ has transcended shores and has since swept the globe. The next host to serenade in demure blanc will be Aukland, with the dinner having said to be hosted in 40 cities last year alone!
As the event scene morphs into the modern era, such festivities are challenging the perceptions and needs of the crowds who attend them. Event goers channel their concerns for ‘responsible fun’ through councils, social media and forums. Sustainability, waste management and noise pollution are significant influencing factors for the decision makers, but one thing is clear, people more than ever want to embrace traditions with a twist, public spaces and the pleasantries that can be enjoyed at large scale communions.
The official Dinner en Blanc website itself suggests “guests are to conduct themselves with the greatest decorum, elegance, and etiquette, and to keep within the core values of secrecy, friendship, equality, elegance and gallantry.” A magnificent declaration we say – for 800 culinary and cultural enthusiasts to come together for a night to remember, in secret of course.
You can discover Diner En Blanc London here http://london.dinerenblanc.info