To organise a collectors' dinner around the 1-54 fair in Marrakech, fix the date early, because fair week is short and busy: the 2027 edition is announced for 18 to 21 March, after a 2026 edition that ran from 5 to 8 February. Choose a private setting away from the city, invite a deliberately mixed circle, seat everyone at one table, and plan the transfers carefully.
Why fair week calls for a private evening
During fair week Marrakech fills with galleries, collectors, curators and artists. Restaurants and event spaces are shared, conversations are interrupted and the best tables are taken weeks ahead. A private dinner changes the register: it gives your guests an evening that belongs to your gallery, your foundation or your circle of friends, after a long day among crowds and stands.
The Long Table Marrakech receives one group per evening on the Agafay plateau, 40 minutes from the city, with nobody else on site. Fair week evenings are limited by definition, so the first step is to send us your date and an approximate number of guests as early as possible. Please also check the dates of the next edition directly with the fair, since they change from year to year.
The format: one table, one conversation
A collectors' dinner works best when it stays a dinner. One long table, no stage between guests and hosts, and a seating plan designed by someone who knows who should meet whom. Our base formats run from 30 to 300 guests, up to 300 seated, with smaller groups possible on request. Many collectors' dinners sit comfortably in the lower part of that range, which keeps the conversation shared across the whole table.
Plan the evening in three movements: an arrival at golden hour on the plateau, a seated dinner built around a whole mechoui slow-roasted over embers, and a quieter close under the stars, with live Gnaoua music if you wish. Everything is composed around your guests, not selected from a standard package.
Who to invite, and how to seat them
The guest list is the real work. Aim for a mix: collectors you know well, collectors you would like to know, one or two artists, a curator or writer, and your own team in small number. Seat people so that the table works as a conversation, not as a hierarchy. A few practical rules help:
- Place the artist or the host of honour in the middle of the table, not at the end.
- Alternate languages and nationalities where possible.
- Keep your own team spread out, so that no corner becomes a staff table.
- Collect dietary needs with the invitation, not the week before.
Scenography, light and works on view
The setting is the stone plateau and the Atlas on the horizon, and the light at sunset is a set in itself. For each brief we invite a designer to compose the tables and the scenography around your artists and guests, and guest chefs design the menu. If you want to show works, ephemeral structures for hanging or presenting them can be built for the evening or for several days on request.
The works remain under your care and your conditions. Your specialised shippers and handlers manage transport and installation, and we coordinate access to the site and timings with them. For customs and temporary import questions, ask your shipper and the competent customs authorities well in advance.
Logistics: after the fair, 40 minutes away
Guests will leave the fair in the afternoon, so plan transfers from their hotels in Marrakech to the site and back. Private transfers are included in our offer, and the last stretch is by 4x4 track. Group departures by hotel or by vehicle, a named contact at each pick-up point and a short practical message the day before keep the evening smooth. For the wider planning picture, our Agafay desert venue guide covers the site and the season in more detail.
Key points to remember
- The 2027 edition is announced for 18 to 21 March; the 2026 edition ran from 5 to 8 February. Check the dates with the fair.
- Fair week dates are limited: write early.
- One group per evening, 40 minutes from Marrakech, 30 to 300 guests, up to 300 seated.
- The guest list and the seating plan make the evening.
- Works on view stay under your shippers' care; we coordinate access and timings.
Frequently asked questions
When is the 1-54 fair in Marrakech?
The 2027 edition is announced for 18 to 21 March, after a 2026 edition held from 5 to 8 February. Dates change each year, so check them with the fair.
Can we show works at the dinner?
Yes, on request. Ephemeral structures can be built to present works, with your shippers handling transport and installation.
How many guests can we invite?
Base formats run from 30 to 300 guests, up to 300 seated. Smaller groups are possible on request.
Is the guest list kept confidential?
Your list and the content of the evening are shared only with the people working on your dossier, and nothing is published without your written agreement.
For the wider format, see our guide to private events for 30 to 300 guests and the page on exclusive venue hire for 200 guests. We take reservations from mid-December 2026. When your date is clear, send us your brief and we reply within 24 hours.