The Met Gala is the one event that those of us fond of fawning over red-carpet fashion look forward to every year.
Historically taking place every first Monday of May (unless a global pandemic forces a September reschedule), the 2025 Met Gala is almost here, taking place at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
Here's everything you need to know about fashion's most anticipated red carpet...
What is the Met Gala and when does it happen?
Although the night is more commonly referred to as either the Met Ball or the Met Gala, the event is formally known as the Costume Institute Benefit.
The gala is a fundraiser dedicated to New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute – formally named The Anna Wintour Costume Center, in homage to the American Vogue's editor-in-chief, who has been a chair member of the museum's gala since 1995.
The benefit was founded in 1948 by publicist Eleanor Lambert to encourage donations from New York's high society.
Here's all we know about the event so far.
Why does it have a theme?
The Met Gala also marks the opening night of the Costume Institute's annual fashion exhibit. The theme of the exhibition sets the tone for the event and invitees must dress accordingly.
Occasionally, the theme is broad, like 2021's Gala, which saw attendees dressing for “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” - but every few years, it is dedicated to a single individual.
In 2017, for example, we saw celebrities incorporate bright colours and avant-garde designs as they walked the Met Gala 2017 red carpet which was themed 'Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons' – in homage to (you guessed it) Rei Kawakubo, the fashion designer of the avant-garde Japanese label, Comme des Garçons.
The showstopper look of the night was Rihanna wearing Comme des Garçons. Riri stole the night wearing one of her all-time most unforgettable looks.
For 2024, the theme was ‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion’ and an official dress code of ‘The Garden of Time’, with the exhibition focusing on using research, conversation, and technology to replicate the sensations of the museum's major pieces and saw Zendaya stealing the show in archival Givenchy Haute Couture with an archival Alexander McQueen hat.
What is this year's theme?
This year, the spotlight is going to Dandyism. The theme is “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" inspired by Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book, Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity. While we'll have to wait to see how guests interpret this dress code, Vogue revealed that the exhibit will explore “style of Black men in the context of dandyism, from the 18th century through present.”
What to expect?
Other than sumptuous outfits and loads of photographers trying to get an unforgettable shot, expect lots of bodyguards and fluffers. Yep, fluffers, aka people running around to make the dresses look picture-perfect. It takes a village, people.
Who chairs the event?
Other than Anna Wintour, each year the event brings honorary chair members. The late Karl Lagerfeld and Gianni Versace were the first designers chosen to co-chair the night, in 1995.
Since then, among many designers and fashion insiders, the gala has also made room for celebrities (and even royalty) to participate: Caroline Princess of Hanover was a chair of the 2005 Met Gala, Beyoncé was a chair member in 2013, and last year saw Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya, Bad Bunny, and Chris Hemsworth co-chairing the event.
Vogue has announced that Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams will co-chair the 2025 Met Gala alongside honorary chair LeBron James. We can also expect to see A-listers from Simone Biles, Dapper Dan, Doechii, Ayo Edebiri, Edward Enninful, Janelle Monáe, Angel Reese, Sha'Carri Richardson, Olivier Rousteing, Tyla, and USHER in attendance.
Can anyone get a ticket?
Without being an actress, model, musician, Vogue editor, A-lister's plus one, or wealthy enough to donate hundreds of thousands to the Met Museum and become a sponsor, it's not easy.
Tickets go for approximately £23,000, while tables cost £211,000 – and that's before you get your hands on a Met-worthy designer dress costing tens of thousands of pounds. Anyone else think watching it from the comfort of your own sofa with a takeaway suddenly seems more appealing?
Oh, and you super-rich lot getting your cheque books out might want to hold off, because only those who have Anna Wintour’s official seal of approval will be able to actually purchase a ticket.
So what do we fancy, pizza? We'll bring the fizz.
