The 2023 Met Gala kicks off this evening, with celebrities and titans of the fashion world preparing for the industry’s biggest night.
The theme of this year’s black-tie extravaganza, held on Monday 1 May, is “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty”, which will “examine the life” of the late designer’s legacy. The gala will also pay homage to Lagerfeld through its dress code: “In honour of Karl”.
Similar to previous years, the annual show will include a parade of well-dressed guests posing on the grand entrance steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
While the gala might be a charity event, and primarily about raising funds, that doesn’t mean just anyone gets to attend. Since 1995, the guest list has been carefully presided over byVogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and this year is no different.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Met Gala’s guestlist, from who is attending this year to how you can get an invite.
How much does a ticket cost?
Earlier this month, a source claimed to Page Six that the price to attend the event had gone up this year and that tickets cost $50,000 per person. In 2018, tickets weren’t nearly as pricy -The New York Times reported that tickets cost $30,000 a piece at the time and it ran about $275,000 to book a table at the event.
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Show all 26The following year, prices saw a slight increase. The Evening Standard reported that one ticket for the 2019 gala was $35,000.
While this is a monumental amount of money, as a fundraising event, it’s for a good cause. All of the money from ticket sales is donated to the Costume Institute, which is the only department of the Met Museum that has to fund itself.
The New York Times reported that, during the event in 2017, more than $12m was raised.
So, can anyone who can afford a ticket go?
Unfortunately not. Unlike other charity events, the Met Gala is invitation only and there is a waiting list to get a ticket.
According to The New York Times, invitations are typically based on a person’s status. So, if you’re the latest model, muse or major talent in the world of fashion, film or music, you’re pretty much guaranteed the opportunity to buy a seat.
While companies can buy entire tables at the event, Wintour still has the final say over every invitation, so brands can’t always choose who sits at their table.
How many people attend the Met Gala?
The Met Gala usually host around 600 attendees, according toVogue. However, a much smaller number attended in 2021 due to the ongoing pandemic.
In 2018, the “Heavenly Bodies” exhibition was the biggest the Costume Institute had produced to date, with around 58,600 square feet stretching over three galleries.
Who is invited this year?
The tradition is every year a number of designers and celebrities are selected to co-chair the event alongside Wintour. This year’s co-chairs are: Dua Lipa, Michaela Coel, Penélope Cruz, and Roger Federer.
Just like last year’s Met Gala, Emma Chamberlain will be stepping in as Vogue‘s special correspondent of the magazine’s livestream of the event.
While we won’t officially know which celebrities will be at the gala until the day of, a few stars have confirmed that they’re attending. Some of these famous faces include: Florence Pugh, Paris Hilton, and Kim Kardashian.
