Beyoncé says Met Gala appearance after a decade alongside Blue Ivy is 'surreal'
The Met Gala may be crowded wall-to-wall with A-listers and wannabes, but this year’s event had one big draw card that out-celebritied them all: Beyoncé. The Cowboy Carter singer, 44, last went to the Met 10 years ago.
Back in 2016 the theme was Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology theme, but fast forward a decade and this year’s theme is Fashion is Art.
Wearing a bejewelled skeleton gown curated by French designer Olivier Rousteing, Beyonce made a grand entrance alongside her eldest daughter, Blue Ivy, and husband Jay-Z.
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The Lemonade singer is one of this year’s co-chairs of the event, alongside former Vogue editor Dame Anna Wintour, actress Nicole Kidman and tennis champion Venus Williams.
Speaking to Vogue, Beyoncé was delighted that 14-year-old Blue Ivy was with her, telling the publication: “It feels surreal, because my daughter's here... She looks so beautiful. It's incredible to be able to share it with her and I think she looks so incredible.”
Asked what she was most looking forward to, she said: “I think it's really just experiencing this through the eyes of Blue and being able to relax. And I think for me, I'm wearing Olivier Rousteing, who is someone that's been so loyal to me, and I've done so many incredible, iconic looks with him. So it's really about representing him…”.
She wasn’t the only proud mum as Kidman’s daughter Sunday Rose, who is 17, joined her famous mother at the event.
Given that the Met Gala has a strict rule about attendees being 18 years or older, reports speculated that ‘an exception’ may have been made given that Kidman and Beyoncé are co-chairs.
They weren't the only families out in full force as Kim Kardashian, in a tangerine fibreglass breastplate by British pop artist and sculptor Allen Jones, was there with sisters Kylie and Kendall, who wore a custom GapStudio creation by Zac Posen.
Strict rules all celebrities must follow at the Met Gala
No selfies allowed
Paps might go wild on the Met Gala red carpet, capturing all the celebs on fashion's biggest night out, but some guests will be pained by the fact that they can't take their own photos, because selfies are strictly banned.
Anna Wintour issued the selfie ban back in 2015 in the hopes of keeping the inner workings of the Met Gala behind lock and key.
However, some rebellious few have flouted the rule over the years, as there's always one who sneaks a phone to the toilet for a cheeky bathroom selfie, which later pops up on social media.
Certain foods are banned
There are certain foods that are banned from the event, and not for any real rhyme or reason other than the way they could pose a red carpet disaster.
Things like chives could be dangerous if they get stuck in anyone's teeth before photos. Onion and garlic are also banned in order to prevent bad breath, and other dishes which could easily spill onto dresses.
Wintour has addressed the rumours that the likes of onion, chives and garlic are banned from the event, telling Today host Jenna Bush Hager in 2024: "Well, those are three things I'm not particularly fond of, and so yes, that's true."
Strict seating plan
If you're stuck next to your arch-nemesis at the Met Gala, tough. Because you aren't allowed to move seats.
Seating arrangements are strictly maintained, with a lot of 'power-brokering' in the planning beforehand.
"A lot of thought goes into who sits next to who, if they sat together last year, if they've sat next to each other at other events, so much goes into it, it's shocking," Sylvana Ward Durrett, former director of special projects at Vogue, said in the 2016 documentary The First Monday in May.
Cheeky cigarette? Absolutely not
No smoking is allowed at the glitzy fashion event, a rule which was reportedly recirculated after the likes of Bella Hadid, Dakota Johnson, and Marc Jacobs were pictured smoking in the bathrooms in 2017.
Met Gala guests the following year were reminded that it's 'illegal to smoke in the museum'.
It should be noted that smoking indoors in New York City has been banned since 2003, and prior invitations to the event have reiterated this.
Strict age limit
If you're under 18, you can kiss your chance of getting into the Met Gala goodbye.
This rule was implemented in 2018, with that year's theme being 'Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination'.
A Met Gala spokesperson later confirmed the age restriction was introduced as 'it's not an appropriate event for people under 18'.
Kerri-Ann Roper