Ah, the Met Gala — one of the biggest star-studded events of the year. Unless you’re an A-list celebrity or high-profile designer, chances are you’ll never know what it’s like to attend the “Oscars of the East.”
Thankfully, though, enough attendees have spoken about the event that we have a glimpse of what it would be like to actually get into this storied ball.
From pricey tables to celebrity interactions, here’s what it’s like inside the Met Gala.
What is the Met Gala?
The Met Gala serves a purpose — to raise money for the Costume Institute at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Also known as the Costume Institute Benefit, the Met Gala has become a high-fashion arena for designers and celebrities.
It’s hosted by the chairwoman of the gala, Vogue’s former editor in chief and current global editorial director, Anna Wintour, with famous faces co-chairing the event.
The 2026 Met Gala co-chairs include Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams. Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos, sponsors of this year’s event, will also serve as honorary co-chairs.
Previous Met Gala co-chairs have included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya, Bad Bunny, and ASAP Rocky.
Though the gala has existed since 1948, Wintour took over as chairwoman in 1995, and since then, it has transformed from a philanthropic event into the “Oscars of the East.”
The Met Gala takes place every year on the first Monday in May (obviously the inspiration behind the title of the documentary, “The First Monday in May,” about the event).
The 2026 Met Gala will be held on May 4, celebrating this year’s theme, “Costume Art.”
The adjacent dress code, “Fashion Is Art,” encourages “attendees to consider the many ways that designers use the body as their blank canvas,” according to Vogue.
What do celebrities do inside the Met Gala?
In addition to a red-carpet spectacle, guests can expect a cocktail hour and formal dinner inside the Met Gala.
Guests arrive at the bottom of the Met’s famous staircase and walk up the red carpet. The tent is filled with flashing bulbs and screams from pedestrians cramming in to try to glimpse the stars and their dresses.
Between 600 and 700 people attend the event, including A-list stars, designers, and employees from Vogue, the Met, the Costume Institute, and some brand sponsors.
The guests are led inside and around the museum, typically through the Costume Institute’s coming exhibit. They are also allowed to mingle for a cocktail hour. They’re then privy to exclusive performances and state-of-the-art dinners.
Though the decor and setting change yearly, the Met Museum’s Temple of Dendur room has become a recent favorite. Lizzo graced a stage set in 2023, performing classical flute pieces and singing her own tracks.
In 2024, Cynthia Erivo joined Ariana Grande to perform covers and hits like “Into You.”
But one of the best parts about attending the Met Gala is the celebrity interactions that wouldn’t take place anywhere else. Olivia Rodrigo chatted with Kendall Jenner while Jon Batiste and Cynthia Erivo danced together in 2022. And in 2023, Anne Hathaway looked shocked to discover that Jared Leto was beneath the costume of Karl Lagerfeld’s cat, Choupette, creating one of the best Met Gala moments seen on the event’s red carpet.
You’re also likely to see new romances forming — Swifties credit the Met Gala with linking Taylor Swift and her former boyfriend Joe Alwyn in 2016. Wintour also helped fuel rumors that she was dating actor Bill Nighy when they walked the carpet together in 2023. However, his rep later said they were only “great friends.”
Can anyone go to the Met Gala, including non-celebrities?
Sorry, if you’re not an “it” actor, celebrity, musician, sports superstar, or designer, you’ll have to shell out big time.
The cost to attend the Met Gala can range from $100,000 for a single ticket to $350,000 for a table. Sometimes designers can get a table discount based on a brand’s size and relationship with Vogue. That money goes to the Costume Institute.
Oh, and just in case you thought you could save for it, Wintour is said to have a say over every invitation.
How do celebs get invited to the Met Gala?
While it’s unclear exactly how celebrities are chosen to attend the Met Gala, they are often in the midst of major career moments and/or recent fashion campaigns with brands that have a table at the event.
The invites are as classy as the event itself. Obviously, Wintour wouldn’t settle for a generic e-vite, so guests receive gorgeous invitations featuring the Met Gala’s theme for the year, often with an artistic flair, such as a Richard Avedon photograph or a Man Ray painting.
There was never an age restriction at the Met Gala until 2018, when it was deemed “not an appropriate event for people under 18.”
This means young Hollywood faces like Nell Fisher and Iain Armitage aren’t eligible to attend. However, there is an exception to the rule. Guests under 18 may attend if their parents chaperone them.
Do celebrities pay for their outfits?
If you do get to attend the Met Gala, you must dress to the nines. Guests go all out with their attire. Since the Met Gala is associated with a museum show, guests typically dress thematically — sometimes the show will honor a designer, as was the case with 2023’s theme honoring Karl Lagerfeld, or perhaps it will have a broader directive, such as “Manus x Machina” or “Model as Muse.”
The 2025 dress code was “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” which celebrated Black dandyism.
Designers typically court celebrities to wear their custom looks, from dramatic and daring dresses to accessories. Sometimes, it backfires — think Madonna’s risqué Givenchy look in 2016 — but more often, it wows, like Rihanna’s robe designed by Chinese couture designer Guo Pei in 2015.
On occasion, attendees purchase their outfits, as Zendaya did in 2024 with her historical Givenchy piece.
If you dislike any Met Gala look, you might have Wintour to blame. Journalist Amy Odell, who has written a biography on the former Vogue editor in chief, said all outfits are pre-approved by Wintour before celebrities step onto the red carpet.
It’s unclear what happens to Met Gala outfits after the event. It’s rumored that most garments are returned to designers, but it’s likely a case-by-case scenario.
The most valuable Met Gala outfits throughout history are also a mystery. However, Dua Lipa wore $10 million in jewelry in 2023, and the Marilyn Monroe piece Kim Kardashian wore in 2022 has been described as “the most expensive dress in the world.”
Why is the Met Gala controversial?
Some celebrities dislike the Met Gala. Gwyneth Paltrow famously said she had no fun. “I’m never going again. It was so un-fun. It was boiling. It was too crowded. I did not enjoy it at all,” the Goop maven said.
Amy Schumer similarly hated the event, calling it a “farce” to Howard Stern and saying the entire event was like a “punishment.”
Demi Lovato said one star treated her so terribly that she felt like drinking alcohol, so she left early to go to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.
And then there was Lena Dunham, who drew intense backlash after criticizing not only the Met Gala but Odell Beckham Jr., the famous wide receiver she was seated next to.
Some Met Gala themes have also faced scrutiny. Many took issue with the Karl Lagerfeld theme in 2023, as the late designer often expressed offensive views throughout his life, like criticizing women with curves and saying he was “less keen” on same-sex couples adopting children.
Who is barred from the Met Gala?
Much like the secretive approach to Met Gala invites, who isn’t allowed at the annual event is also unclear.
Tim Gunn said he was once disinvited, and “Riverdale” star Lili Reinhart said in 2022 that she doesn’t believe she’ll be allowed back after criticizing Kim Kardashian’s extensive efforts to fit into small clothing for the event.
The only person Wintour has confirmed to be excluded from future fundraising festivities is President Donald Trump, though he has attended in the past, as have his family members.
Celebrities, including Meryl Streep, Ryan Gosling, and Adele, have surprisingly never attended the Met Gala, though it’s not because they’ve been barred.
Fans are just patiently waiting for them to make their first appearances.
Michelle Mark contributed to an earlier version of this post.
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