Derry’s Dine in the Dark sets a £50 blindfold challenge
Businesses and individual diners are invited to Dine in the Dark at the Guildhall in Derry on Thursday 8 October. The charity dinner begins at 7pm, with tickets costing £50 per person or £500 for a table of ten.
The three-course meal marks World Sight Day 2026 and will ask guests to eat while wearing blindfolds. According to Derry City and Strabane District Council, ticket proceeds will support HIVE Cancer Support, while guests can donate separately to RNIB during the evening.
Date, venue and ticket details
| Detail | Confirmed information |
|---|---|
| Date and time | Thursday 8 October, 7pm |
| Venue | Guildhall, Derry |
| Price | £50 per person or £500 per table of ten |
| Who can attend | Businesses and individuals |
| Booking | Tickets are available through the Mayor’s Charity page on the council website |
Places are limited, and the council is advising early booking. Businesses can reserve a full table and invite staff, while individual tickets are also available.
Dinner will be served under blindfold
Guests will wear blindfolds during the dinner service, turning the familiar act of eating a three-course meal into an awareness activity centred on sight impairment. The experience is intended to offer a controlled insight into everyday situations encountered by blind and partially sighted people.
Entertainment is planned after dinner, allowing guests to remove their blindfolds and spend the remainder of the evening in the Guildhall. No performer or finishing time has been announced in the event information.
Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council Grace Uí Niallais described the dinner as an experience that “challenges perceptions and builds empathy”. She is encouraging employers to treat the evening as a shared learning opportunity for staff, with workplace inclusion and awareness among the aims identified by organisers.
World Sight Day gives the dinner a wider purpose
The event takes place on World Sight Day, linking its fundraising purpose with a discussion about the barriers faced by people with sight loss. RNIB Northern Ireland Country Director Robert Shilliday said eating without sight gives guests an opportunity to step outside their comfort zones and approach an everyday task differently.
RNIB estimates that 4,355 people in the Derry City and Strabane District Council area live with sight loss. Its Northern Ireland estimate stands at 62,386 people whose sight loss affects daily life, while the organisation says half of all sight loss is avoidable.
HIVE Cancer Support project manager Maureen Collins said the dinner would raise awareness of RNIB’s work while providing funds needed by HIVE. She said partnerships of this kind help local charities maintain services and bring communities together around inclusion.
How to reserve a place
Tickets can be purchased from the Mayor’s Charity section of the Derry City and Strabane District Council website. The published event details do not specify an end time, transport arrangements or accessibility provisions, so guests who need those details should check with the organiser before booking.
All £50 individual ticket payments and £500 table bookings will go to HIVE Cancer Support. Anyone wishing to support RNIB will have a separate opportunity to donate during the event.
Source: Derry City and Strabane Council News
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The date, venue, ticket prices, programme and beneficiaries were reviewed against the organiser’s published event information.
- Confirmed the event is scheduled for 7pm on Thursday 8 October at the Guildhall.
- Confirmed tickets cost £50 per person or £500 for a table of ten.
- Confirmed ticket proceeds will support HIVE Cancer Support.
- Confirmed guests can make separate donations to RNIB during the evening.
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- Derry City and Strabane Council News
- Scope
- Derry
- Updated
- 2026-08-17 10:47
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