Australia’s rich and famous will gather at a top-secret location this week for the Gold Dinner, an annual charity gala that raises funds for the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation.

The prestigious event is attended by the country’s rich and famous, with a guest list that includes billionaires, politicians, celebrities, CEOs, socialites, and Hollywood A-listers.

But a full pocketbook alone does not guarantee entry to the VIP event. Invitations come directly from the Gold Dinner committee, which includes high-profile members like Karl Stefanovic and Guillaume Brahimi, among others. If you are lucky enough to be chosen, then it’s $1,500 per person to attend – and absolutely no ‘freebies’.

“This is a highly curated room and it’s very much focussed on how much you can spend and how much you can contribute to this cause in a meaningful way,” Gold Dinner Chairwoman Monica Saunders-Weinberg said.

Since its inception in 1997, the Gold Dinner has raised over $30 million for children’s health. This year, the benefit will focus on mental health and its effect on children in the community.

“This year it felt particularly timely to shed light on the aspect of mental health, more prevalent than ever as a consequence of the Covid 19 pandemic and a condition that far too many children experience with inadequate support and solution,” Saunders-Weinberg added.  

Like everything surrounding the Gold Dinner, the details are shrouded in mystery.

What we do know is this year’s sold-out event will be one of the biggest yet, with around 550 attendees up from the usual 450, with a further 80 on the waitlist.

Without media or influencers to document the occasion, attendees are free to relax and spend big, without any unwanted attention.

“It’s a locked room so it’s safe for people to be able to spend at a certain level, Saunders-Weinberg said.

“Also, the people in this room don’t need any attention because they have it already.”

This year, Crown Sydney has been named as the official presenting partner of the Gold Dinner, and will sponsor the food and drink to assist with the fundraising efforts.

“Not only are they doing all the food and beverage, but they are paying for it too, from the waitstaff to the cutlery, the ice – all of it,” Saunders-Weinberg said.

“Obviously, we think it’s the best food Sydney has to offer so to be able to showcase them like this is fantastic. It’s going to be pure luxury.”

While the event will not be held at Crown Sydney (or so we’re told), the menu for the evening has been carefully curated by Alessandro Pavoni of Crown Sydney restaurant, a’Mare.

The evening will start with roving canapés, fresh oysters shucked to order, and bumps of caviar with ice-cold vodka from a dedicated caviar station.

The ultra-luxe Italian menu will include all the a’Mare signatures, from the tri-coloured cruditá of tuna, kingfish and salmon with Tuscan mandarin dressing to carnaroli risotto with wagyu beef cheek and 24-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano.

For desserts, guests will be treated to Pavoni’s tiramisu al cucchiaio served tableside which will be followed by roving gelato carts, which will scoop out fior di latte gelato with cherry amaretto and chocolate by the cup or cone.

And that’s not all. At the after-party, Pavoni will be frying up ‘mozzarella in carrozza’, a deep-fried mozzarella and basil sandwich that Pavoni calls the “ultimate hangover snack”.

Crown Sydney will also cover the drinks, which will include bottomless Bollinger and Oatley wines, among other options.

There will be opportunities throughout the night for guests to show their support for the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation, either through a direct donation with cryptocurrency accepted for the first time or through the silent auction or raffle, with tickets priced at $200 and $500.