How To Snag An Invite To Diner en Blanc Los Angeles

On the night of September 29, 2018, I thought I had died and gone to heaven – I was dressed in all white from head to toe, listening to French songs, sipping champagne, eating caviar, and danced the night away. It was pure bliss.

I pinched myself and realized I was not dead but at an epic all-white dinner party known as Dîner en Blanc, the invite-only fancy picnic dinner party where everyone decked out in white dining at a secret location, a place is only known to attendees once arrived on buses from meeting points around the city.

To give you a bit of a history of Diner en Blanc, the large-scale pop-up dinners started in France 30 years ago now assembles over 10,000 guests every year around the world. The first Diner en Blanc Los Angeles was held in 2013 on Rodeo Drive, and the last year’s event was held at Pasadena City Hall. Last night’s event was held at the Exposition Park Rose Garden in Los Angeles, also a public place.

The gist of this event is that every year we celebrate with great friends, great food and drink and over the course of the evening while engaging with guests from diverse backgrounds and together we all get to experience the beauty and value of our city’s public spaces with no disruptions.

This was my first experience and I felt like my champagne wishes and caviar dreams came true. It was definitely a night to remember.

If you are interested in attending this beautiful event – I highly recommend experiencing at least once in your lifetime. The first thing you need to do is sign up to attend on the Diner en Blanc website. If you’re accepted to participate (unfortunately, there is a waitlist), pay a $35 fee, then pick a meeting spot in Los Angeles where you’ll meet your group leader on the big day to board a bus to dinner. The location of the dinner is a secret until you arrive.

You can bring your own white table, chairs, and tablecloth or pay a fee ($85 for a couple) for the rental if you don’t want to schlepp them in your fancy outfit. You either bring your own food or buy a dinner catered by a catering company through the Diner en Blanc website, to pick up at the event. You cannot bring your own liquor. If you want wine (and of course we all do), you’ll have to buy it through the website, then pick it up when you arrive. And yes, you have to dress in all white from head to toe, no exceptions.

The dinner still happening rain or shine so make sure to check your weather app to bring an umbrella if needed.

This year’s venue had 2,500 attendees and next year is expected to be even more. The next location? Well, it’s a secret but we know it will probably not be held at the Exposition Park Rose Garden, but how nice would it be at places like The Getty, Venice Beach, The Hungtinton Library, or streets in DTLA. Until then, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.