The Met Gala invites a curated list of influential figures from fashion, arts, sports, politics, and tech, all subject to final approval by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. Invitations come through designers buying tables (around $350,000 for 10), personal connections to Wintour, or recognition for cultural impact, with attendees often paying around $75,000 for single tickets if not sponsored. The guest list balances A-list celebrities with rising stars and digital creators who align with the theme, embodying "cultural capital" and influence.
The Met Gala, held on the first Monday in May, is notoriously exclusive. The guest list is limited to about 450 to 600 attendees each year, and all guests need to be approved by Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour, who has cochaired the event most years since 1995.
Notably, celebrity attendees generally don't pay for their own ticket, with entry costs and costumes financed by the major fashion houses who dress and invite them. All the money from Met Gala tickets are then donated to the Costume Institute, as a self-funded department of the museum.
In 2014, the individual tickets cost US$30,000 for those outside the official guest list, after prices were raised by $10,000 to increase the exclusivity of the event. The annual guest list is limited to approximately 650-700 people. Starting in the 2020s, the Met Gala has started including social-media influencers.
Funny enough, a lot of the ``famous people'' who attend the Met Gala are not invited by the Met, or even by Vogue, but by fashion designers. The designers are assigned a certain number of seats, or an entire table, and they choose who will be their guests.
Taylor Swift Radio
Sources told TMZ the "Karma" songstress did not attend the illustrious annual event due to a scheduling conflict for the ninth consecutive year.
Donald Trump
But, during a 2017 appearance on The Late Show with James Corden, Anna Wintour confirmed that Trump is the one person she would never invite back to the event.
The 3-3-3 clothing rule is a simple styling method for creating many outfits from few items: choose 3 tops, 3 bottoms, and 3 shoes, which allows for 27 potential combinations (3x3x3) and reduces decision fatigue, often used for travel or building a minimalist capsule wardrobe. It's a versatile concept, sometimes expanded to include 3 layers (like jackets or cardigans) for even more looks, making dressing easier by focusing on mix-and-match versatility with core pieces.
However, not every A-lister has decided to attend the party. There are plenty of living legends who, for whatever reason, have foregone attending the event, including Meryl Streep, Will Smith, the entire cast of "Friends," and more. Here are some of the biggest celebrities to have skipped the Met Gala so far.
She lost 16 pounds in 3 weeks to fit into her vintage Met Gala gown. How did Kardashian lose weight? She says she cut carbs and ate “just the cleanest veggies and protein.” She also ran on a treadmill and wore a sauna suit twice a day.
In order to attend the Met Gala, you must be invited (and just because you were invited once, that doesn't guarantee entry every year!). Celebrities, sports stars, fashion figures and other prominent pop culture names of today are among the prestigious bunch who receive invites.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce did not attend the Met Gala this year for a very simple reason. The Met Gala vet, 35, and her NFL star beau, also 35, did receive an invitation to fashion's biggest night this year, but they had to decline due to their respective schedules, sources told TMZ.
Who decides the Met Gala guest list? According to Odell, Wintour has the final say on the guest list; ahead of the event, planners compile lists of hundreds of potential guests, which Wintour reviews before deciding who makes the final cut for the party, which is often capped at a certain number.
We know for sure Tim Gunn was banned from the Met Gala because he said as much in 2016. “It is very true. It is a crazy story, and as far as I'm concerned, it's a very matter-of-fact story. I was asked what is the most unforgettable thing I've ever seen in fashion and I said, 'It's easy.
dead celebrities that we miss
You'll surely remember her last appearance, as that iconic bleached-blonde bob for the 2016 Manus x Machina theme broke the Internet. Unfortunately, Swift didn't attend Met Gala 2025, and neither did her boyfriend Travis Kelce, which would have been his Met Gala debut.
The Met Gala event, through its ticket sales, helps raise money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, specifically for The Costume Institute.
Megan Thee Stallion Sneaks Phone Into Met Gala: Watch Her Sample Appetizers With Doechii & Angel Reese.
Cher's "Naked Illusion Dress" in 1974
20, 1974. Cher's 1974 Met Gala look is one of the most famous "naked dresses" of all time. For that year's theme, "Romantic and Glamorous Hollywood Design," the music icon arrived with designer Bob Mackie in a sheer, jewel-encrusted jumpsuit layered with feathered fringe.
The Mark and The Carlyle are arguably the two most popular pre-Met Gala hotels. The Carlyle, a Rosewood Hotel, is an Upper East Side icon that, over the years, has hosted everyone from Prince William and Kate Middleton to John F. Kennedy and Princess Diana.
Zendaya and Anna Sawai wear nearly identical outfits to the Met Gala: 'Great minds' No, a clone of Zendaya didn't walk the 2025 Met Gala red carpet.
Worn by the princess in Florence, Italy on April 23, 1985, the ballerina-length gown adorned with celestial motifs fetched an astonishing $1,148,080, smashing its original estimate and setting a new world record for the most expensive dress worn by Princess Diana at auction—surpassing the previous $604,800 record.