We’re now mere hours away from Met Monday, when only the most fashionable celebrities will climb the steps to the annual gala held at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. An invitation to the Met Gala is not easy to get — just look at how often rumors spread that the Kardashians can’t get in — but did you know that even after Anna Wintour puts your name on the list, a pretty pricey ticket is required?
Exclusivity is key when it comes to the Met Gala. After celebrities walk a red carpet that’s brimming with the biggest experts in celebrity fashion and broadcast on the 2025 TV schedule, they make their way into the museum for the annual fundraising event. So what’s the price one pays to find out what exactly happens during one of these soirees? Business Insider reports that individual tickets to the Met Gala cost $75,000, while tables cost $350,000.
Here’s the catch, though. Even for those who have that kind of money to shell out for the biggest night in fashion, it’s not the celebrities themselves who usually pay for the tickets. Design houses, brands and other companies reportedly purchase tables and then choose which guests they want to sit there. Those guests then have to get the approval of Vogue Editor in Chief Anna Wintour.
I guess that’s the price you pay — literally — to be part of the elite, hand-picked crowd. Cell phones are banned from the event, so don’t expect to sneak behind the scenes via celebs’ social media. The gala opens with a cocktail hour, during which attendees can tour the museum’s exhibition. Dinner follows, as well as one or more exclusive performances.
Co-chairs for this year’s theme — which is “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” — alongside Anna Wintour are Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, Pharrell Williams and A$AP Rocky, with LeBron James serving as an honorary chair. Wintour praised the styles A$AP Rocky and Rihanna, and looking back on the “Work” singer’s greatest Met Gala dresses, it’s pretty obvious why.
⬧ Jared Leto, Doja Cat and Lil Nas X go full feline in 2023.
⬧ Christina Ricci’s corset required pain killers and an emergency change in 2011.
⬧ JLo shows up alone in 2024, wearing see-through silver.
⬧ Marilyn Monroe’s dress designer criticizes Kim Kardashian for wearing it.
⬧ Jeremy Strong crushes in a floral white suit.
Typically around 450 celebrities receive invitations, and rumors are flying around regarding allegedly leaked guest lists. Among the other famous faces we might expect to see include host committee members (per Vogue) like Janelle Monáe, Doechii, Ayo Edebiri, André 3000, Jeremy Pope, Angel Reese and Usher.
However, despite Blake Lively dropping jaws in a reversible dress back in 2022, don’t expect to see her and husband Ryan Reynolds climb the storied steps. The couple apparently declined the invitation even before their It Ends with Us legal issues began with Justin Baldoni.
Snow White’s Rachel Zegler will also miss the Met Gala, but her absence won’t be because of controversy either. She had a work conflict, as she appears in Evita on the West End. Many fans are hoping to see Zendaya again, after she returned to the fashion-forward event in 2024.
It’s always fun to see the wild ways that celebrities interpret each year’s theme and dress code, and knowing how much money is spent on tickets and tables — not to mention the outfits — just makes me appreciate the exclusivity of it all even more.
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