Once a year, a crowd of thousands of party guests dressed in stylish all-white outfits swarm a scenic area of Boston with tables, chairs, bottles of wine and elaborate meals for a pop-up dinner party called Diner en Blanc.

Diner en Blanc is a national effort but Boston’s version, celebrating its 10-year anniversary this year, is one of the most diverse events hosted in the city’s downtown.

“Boston is home; I love it here.

But you don’t always see the mix of diversity in certain areas,” said Ashley McGowan, co-host of Diner en Blanc Boston. “We host the event in a very public place where everyone can see what our community looks like.”

The location of Diner en Blanc is a secret until a couple hours before the pop-up. Guests get a notification and begin moving toward the selected spot for the lavish party. Previous years have been celebrated in Downtown Crossing, on the Rose Kennedy Greenway and on the Seaport Common.

Attendees bring their own chairs, table and picnic and can purchase champagne and wine through the Diner en Blanc organization and pick it up on site.

The event formally starts with a celebratory napkin wave, a sea of white napkins shaking across the space. After dinner. a live band and then a DJ sets up and the function turns into an energetic dance party in the heart.

“When the sparkles come out, we get on the dance floor,” said McGowan. “It gets everybody up and dancing.”

There are a few surprise guests slated for the 10-year anniversary dinner this year and 98.1FM The Urban Heat, Boston’s only independently Black-owned radio station, will assist with the music and entertainment for the third year running.

This year’s Diner en Blanc takes place July 25 at a to-beannounced location. Tickets are rolled out in three waves. The 2026 theme is Une Soirée Parisienne — La Belle Époque and guests are encouraged to dress and style their dinners accordingly.

Once folks have experienced Diner en Blanc they’re usually in it for life. McGowan says 60% of attendees are repeat guests and 20% are the plus-ones of those repeat diners. The mystery of the location and the elegant magic of the pop-up picnic keep people coming back.

“Seeing the community come together and seeing Boston in a different light is amazing,” she said. “We’re pulling out all the stops this year.”

ON THE WEB

learn more and purchase tickets at boston.dinerenblanc.com/city