In 1988, the first official Dîner en Blanc took place in the Parc de Bagatelle in the Bois de Boulogne. Until 1991, the venue remained the same but numbers quickly escalated from 200 initially to 400, to 800 in 1990 and 1,200 in 1991. By 1992, it was necessary to conceal the location of the dinner and the current process of using point-people to coordinate a batch of tables and provide transportation to the event began. Here’s a rundown of the locations of the Dîner en Blanc from its inception to today:
2017: Hôtel de Ville
Photo by Fabrice Labit from Dîner en Blanc International
2016: Place Vendome
Photo by Aymeric Pasquier
The 2016 Dîner en Blanc brought the pop-up dinner to a location that had not worked out due to construction back in 2012 for the 25th anniversary: the Place Vendôme.
2015: Palais Royal
Paris Dîner en Blanc at Palais Royal. Photo by Thierry Stein courtesy of Dîner en Blanc International
In 2012, festivities went all out. Two simultaneous dinners at Place des Vosges and Notre Dame. Then the next night, a third dinner took place at Versailles in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the dinner.
The dinner was located at the Carrousel du Louvre, stretching from the I.M. Pei pyramid to the Tuileries. Attendance was estimated at around 12,000.
2009: Place de la Concorde
In 2009, about 10,000 people descended onto Place de la Concorde with a view of the Eiffel Tower and the Grand Palais.
2008: The Champs-Élysées
In 2008, more than 9000 guests made it onto the sidewalks of the Champs-Élysées. Ben & Jerrys, the ice cream company, managed to make its way in time to serve dessert!
2007: Arc de Triomphe/L’Etoile
In 2007, a slightly smaller gathering of 8,000 at the L’Etoile, around the Arc de Triomphe.
2006: The Invalides
In 2006, approximately 8,400 partied on the lawns of the Invalides.
2004: Louvre-Palais Royal
In one of the smallest venues, the 2004 the Dîner en Blanc was in the courtyard between the Palais Royal and the Louvre, just outside the Louvre-Palais Royal metro stop on the 1 line. Although the invites were considerably less, with 1400 attending, this dinner was nicknamed the “Sardine Dinner” (Dîner Sardine) because of how difficult it was to setup.
1994: Place de la Concorde
Photo courtesy Dîner en Blanc International
1993: Pyramide du Louvre
Photo courtesy Dîner en Blanc International
In 1993, the Dîner en Blanc was at the Louvre, marking the first time the event was reported on by the New York Times.
1990: Bois de Boulogne
Photo courtesy Dîner en Blanc International
The first Dîner en Blanc ever took place in the Bois du Boulogne in 1990.
The Dîner en Blanc has also taken place at Madeleine, Versailles, the Pantheon, Trocadero, Pont-Saint Louis and Pont de Solferino.
Michelle is the founder of Untapped New York and the author of The Art Spy (HarperOne, forthcoming) Secret Brooklyn, Secret New York Hidden Bars & Restaurants, and Broadway. michelleyoungwriter.com
Paris Dîner en Blanc at Palais Royal. Photo by Thierry Stein courtesy of Dîner en Blanc International
Photo by Fabrice Malard courtesy Dîner en Blanc International
In one of the smallest venues, the 2004 the Dîner en Blanc was in the courtyard between the Palais Royal and the Louvre, just outside the Louvre-Palais Royal metro stop on the 1 line. Although the invites were considerably less, with 1400 attending, this dinner was nicknamed the “Sardine Dinner” (Dîner Sardine) because of how difficult it was to setup.
