- The Met Gala is an annual fundraising event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute.
- It features a glamorous, star-studded red carpet, with celebrities showing off their high fashion looks.
- Stars like Kim Kardashian, Blake Lively and Zendaya are regulars.
Ah, the Met Gala. One of the biggest events of the year where stars gather. Unless you're an A-list celebrity or a great designer, you'll never know what it's like to attend the “Oscars of the East.”
But thankfully, enough celebrities and guests spoke about the event to give us a glimpse of what it's really like to attend this famous ball.
From the expensive tables to the celebrity interactions, here's a look inside the Met Gala.
What is the Met Gala?
The purpose of the Met Gala is to raise funds for the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The Met Gala, officially known as the Costume Institute Gala, is a fundraising event. Proceeds will benefit the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. Essentially an annual ball, it is famous for serving as a high fashion extravaganza for designers and celebrities.
It is hosted by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who chairs the gala, and is usually co-chaired by a celebrity. The 2024 Met Gala co-chairs are Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth, Jennifer Lopez, and Zendaya. Previous Met Gala co-chairs have included Michaela Cole, Penelope Cruz, Roger Federer and Dua Lipa.
Although the gala has been around since 1946, Wintour became the gala's chairman in 1995, and since then, the gala has transformed from a charity event to the “Oscars of the East.”
The Met Gala is held on the first Monday of May each year (apparently the inspiration behind the title of the documentary about the event, The First Monday in May).
This is not only the start of the Costume Institute's annual show, but also a time to recognize the East Coast's influence on celebrity and culture.
The 2024 Met Gala will be held on May 6th. Typically, VOGUE will live stream the red carpet online. Television versions are regularly broadcast on the news. Both start around 6pm ET.
What do celebrities do inside the Met Gala?
In addition to the red carpet spectacle, enjoy a cocktail hour and formal dinner.
Guests descend the Metropolitan Museum of Art's famous staircase and walk down the red carpet. The tent is filled with flashing light bulbs and the screams of pedestrians rushing to catch a glimpse of the star and her dress.
The event will draw between 600 and 700 people, ranging from A-list stars to designers, employees of Vogue, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Costume Institute itself, and some brand sponsors.
Gala guests are typically guided in and around the Museum through the Costume Institute's upcoming exhibits and are also allowed to mingle during cocktail hour. And you can enjoy special performances and cutting-edge dinners.
Although the decorations and settings change each year, the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Temple of Dendur room is a recent favorite. In 2022, Lenny Kravitz and Kacey Musgraves graced the stage set there, and Lizzo earned similar honors in 2023, performing a classical flute piece and singing his own songs.
But one of the best things about attending the Met Gala is the celebrity interactions you won't get anywhere else. In 2022, Olivia Rodrigo was chatting with Kendall Jenner while Jon Batiste and Cynthia Erivo were dancing together. And in 2023, Anne Hathaway appeared shocked to discover Jared Leto was underneath the costume of Karl Lagerfeld's cat Choupette.
There is also a high possibility that a new romance will emerge. Swifties believe the 2016 Met Gala brought Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn together, and Wintour sparked rumors that she was dating actor Bill Nighy when they walked the carpet together in 2023. encouraged.
Can non-celebrities attend the Met Gala?
Sorry, but if you're not an “IT” actor, celebrity, musician, sports superstar, or designer, you're going to have to pay big bucks.
The cost to attend the Met Gala ranges from $30,000 for a ticket to $275,000 for a table. Depending on the size of your brand and your relationship with Vogue, designers may be eligible for table discounts.
By the way, that money will be donated to the Costume Institute. In 2023, nearly $22 million was reportedly raised.
Oh, and in case you thought you were saving money, Wintour reportedly has a say in all invitations.
How do celebrities get invited to the Met Gala?
It's unclear how exactly the celebrities who attend the Met Gala are chosen, but attendees are often in the midst of a big career moment or a recent fashion campaign with participating brands.
And the invitations are just as classy as the event itself. Obviously, Wintour wouldn't settle for a run-of-the-mill e-invite, and guests are given lavish invitations featuring that year's Met Gala theme, usually with a photo of Richard Avedon or Man Ray. It incorporates an artistic sense, such as paintings.
The Met Gala had no age limit until 2018, when the event was deemed an “event not suitable for persons under 18.”
This means we have young Hollywood faces like McKenna Grace and Xochitl Gomez Not eligible to participate. However, there are exceptions to this rule. Guests under the age of 18 may participate if accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Do celebrities pay for their costumes?
If you decide to attend the Met Gala, you must dress appropriately. Guests go all out in their attire. Since the Met Gala is associated with a museum show, guests typically dress in accordance with the theme. Sometimes the show celebrates a designer, like the 2023 theme honoring Karl Lagerfeld, and other times it has broader instructions, like “Manus x Machina” or “Models.” As a muse. ”
This year's theme is 'The Garden of Time' and the stylists believe it will showcase vintage pieces and new designs made with technology.
Celebrities are usually courted by designers to wear their own custom looks, from dramatic and bold dresses to accessories. Remember Madonna's racy Givenchy look in 2016? Sometimes it backfires, but more often it surprises, like Rihanna's robe designed by Chinese haute couture designer Guo Pei in 2015.
But if you don't like her Met Gala look, Wintour may be to blame. Journalist Amy O'Dell, who wrote a biography of the Vogue editor-in-chief, said all of the celebrities' outfits were pre-approved by Wintour before they took to the red carpet.
It's unclear what will happen to Met Gala costumes after the event. It's rumored that most clothing will be returned to the designer, but it's likely a case-by-case scenario.
The most valuable Met Gala costume in history is also shrouded in mystery. However, Dua Lipa reportedly wore $10 million worth of jewelry in 2023, and Kim Kardashian's 2022 Marilyn Monroe item is said to be the “world's most expensive dress” .
Why is the Met Gala so controversial?
Some celebrities hate the Met Gala. Gwyneth Paltrow famously said she didn't have any fun at all, saying, “I'll never go again. It wasn't fun at all. It was like boiling water. It was too crowded. I didn't have any fun at all.” Told.
Amy Schumer similarly hated the event, telling Howard Stern that she called it a “travesty” and said the whole event was like “punishment.”
Demi Lovato also left the event early, saying she left to go to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting because she felt like drinking alcohol after being treated badly by a star.
And not only at the Met Gala, there was also Lena Dunham, who sparked a fierce backlash by criticizing the famous New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who was sitting next to her.
Some Met Gala themes have come under intense scrutiny. In 2023, the late Karl Lagerfeld often expressed offensive views throughout his life, including criticizing curvy women and saying he was “not very keen” on same-sex couples adopting children. Many people objected to Karl Lagerfeld's theme.
Who can't attend the Met Gala?
Just as the invitees to the Met Gala are secretive, it's also unclear who will be invited. it's not Welcome to our annual event.
Tim Gunn claims he was once turned away from attending, and 'Riverdale' star Lili Reinhart claims Kim Kardashian went to great lengths to wear tiny clothes for an event in 2022. He said he did not think he would be invited again after criticizing the invitation.
But the one star Winter confirmed will be excluded from future fundraisers? That would be former US President Donald Trump.
