As mad lovers of things going on in Melbourne, our On The List team spend most of the year at Melbourne’s best events, launches and activities. So it’s a big call to name one of them the best of 2015. But we have. Last year Diner En Blanc came to Melbourne for the first time and it was everything we crave – it was different, exciting, unexpected, crazy fun and it attracted the best crowd!
And we nearly flipped over ourselves when we got the email that it’s back for 2016!! Saturday Feb 27 – put it in your diary now.
So what in the world is Diner en blanc? Very good question and if you love surprises and you trust us, then don’t read on, leap straight into the booking system where you can put your name on a waiting list along with the 8000+ from last year (that’s how hectic popular this event is!). But if you don’t mind a wee spoiler then here’s what the event is all about.
Here’s the synopsis. Book your tickets. Dress all in white. Bring all your prescribed gear to a meeting point (table/chairs/napkin/food etc..). Move to secret location with more than 1,500 Melburnians. Set up said gear. Be elegant. Wave white napkin in the air. Wave sparkler in the air. Eat. Drink. Dance. Take 100 selfies.
Because of the 8000 on the waiting list last year, the super cool Diner en Blanc team have upped the number of tickets available this year which is a relief for those who missed out last year. However, first release has gone to those who were part of the festivities last year so our recommendation is get yourself on that waiting list ASAP.
Once you’ve booked your ticket, hunt around for the hottest ‘white’ outfit you can find. This isn’t one of those situations where it says wear white and you turn up in your fav Melbourne black, you’ll feel rather silly if you aren’t wearing white, so suck it up, get a spray tan and get your white on.
There are also some rather strict guidelines including the size of the table, linen and centrepiece you have to bring, which sounds a little intense to start with but when you get there and see the whole space set up looking exactly the same, you see why these rules are worth it. It looks spectacular!
Diner en Blanc originated in Paris, so no surprises they like to keep it classy. And, the same event is held in over 20 countries around the world. So cool right?!
Big hint, if you want to kick on after the event you either need a designated ‘carry home’ buddy to take your table and chairs etc… or grab a hotel room in the city and an Uber and dump it all off before prancing into the night.
