Diner En Blanc on Bondi - How About Melbourne?
Saturday night, the highly sought-after "secret" picnic, Dîner en Blanc, drew a crowd of 3000 people to Bondi Beach for a spectacular event, made even more special as the iconic Sydney beach has never before been used to host a dinner party of such scale.
Melbournites can only drool. Diner en Blanc is a global phenomenon held at the finest cities and locations. We celebrate the event in Sydney - which is exclusive for those who get nominated by a friend or who have been part of a past event. You get on a waiting list and can't just rock up.
Where would we hold such an event in Melbourne? Methinks St Kilda is our best location for a stylish beach party. Guests have to dress in white and bring their own gourmet picnic and seating is extremely particular.
The Diner En Blanc global phenomenon started from humble beginnings in Paris 25 years ago. What began as a small gathering now attracts tens of thousands of people across five continents and claims the title of the world’s largest secret dinner party.
While the technology behind Dîner en Blanc may have changed over the years, the principles fuelling this fantastic event have not: diners continue to gather at a secret location for the sole purpose of sharing a high-quality meal with good friends in one of the city’s most beautiful locations.
Doubling its numbers from last year's inaugural Sydney event, the intriguing dinner treated foodies and cultural enthusiasts to an unforgettable evening of elegance, beauty and magic. True to tradition, guests gathered at meeting points all across Sydney to have the secret dinner location revealed to them at the very last moment.
"The night was a great success with everyone embracing the convivial and spontaneous spirit of Dîner en Blanc. Sydney locals are known for their love of quality food and festive events so we hope to establish a long-standing tradition with the help of our partners Piper- Heidsieck Australia, Treasury Wine Estates and Electrolux," said Antoine Bessis, 8agency who partnered with Barry Wafer, Rizer to co-host Dîner en Blanc Sydney.
Guests dressed in white from head to toe, supplied their own epicurean feasts, chairs, fine china, silverware and white tablecloths to create the spectacular white scene on Bondi Beach. Over the course of the evening, the chic picnic-goers dined and celebrated amid live music from DJ's Jimmy 2 Sox, Tim Fuchs and Graz.
Breathtaking moments included the waving of cloth napkins to mark the beginning of the dinner, as well as the lighting of sparklers signaling participants are free to circulate, mingle and dance. When it was time to leave, guests packed up their dinnerware and tables, picked up all their litter and headed into the night, leaving behind no sign of their elegant revelry.
Diner en Blanc's proud sponsors added to the festivities in true Diner en Blanc style. Champagne partner, Piper-Heidsieck installed a stunning champagne tower, Treasury Wine Estates provided beautiful wines for guests to enjoy and hosted the best centrepiece competition and Electrolux treated guests to complementary canapés cooked on their deluxe mobile cooking pods.
Dîner en Blanc Sydney promises to be even bigger and better in 2014.
For more information visit http://sydney.dinerenblanc.info/