August 21, 2026
Provided Image/Dîner en Blanc
The annual Dîner en Blanc, an outdoor dinner party where guests come dressed in white, was canceled Thursday due to severe storms. Above, guests attend the picnic in LOVE Park in 2024.
Dîner en Blanc, the annual outdoor dinner party where guests come dressed in white, was canceled Thursday night for just the second time in its 14-year history in Philadelphia.
Although the event is usually held rain or shine, organizers called it off due to the severe storms that swept the area. The secret location was never revealed, and the team said in a social media post that it had multiple discussions with the city, weather services, the venue and vendors before calling it off.
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People who had purchased tickets can go to caterer Feast Your Eyes' headquarters at 1626 N. American St. on Friday to pick up a takeout meal in lieu of attending. They make pick up the meal until 1 p.m.
"The decision to cancel was not made lightly, as we know how much time, excitement, and effort go into this event on the guest side," organizers wrote in an Instagram post announcing the cancellation. "The safety of our guests, volunteers, and vendors is of the utmost importance."
The only other time Dîner en Blanc has not taken place in Philly since 2012 was in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The annual dinner typically draws draws more than 5,000 people. Attendees bring their own tables, chairs and place settings, and the location remains secret until a few hours before the start time. The event was founded in Paris in 1988, and the Philadelphia iteration started in 2012. This is the first formal cancellation since then, although the event was cut short in 2019 due to lightening.
This year's theme was America250, in honor of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the ties to the dinner's French history and France's role as an ally to the Patriot army during the American Revolution.
Thursday night's storms delayed several flights at the Philadelphia International Airport, although flights resumed as of Friday morning. The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado occurred in Dover, Delaware.
