Staggering amount it costs for celebrities to attend Met Gala
It’s Met Gala time! Fashion’s biggest night of the year is fast approaching where all the biggest names will congregate at NYC’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This year, the theme for the Met Gala is Costume Art, which will see 'garments placed in dialogue with a range of artworks spanning 5,000 years of art history from the Met’s collection,' as stated by British Vogue.
For those scrambling to find an outfit hoping to be let in, unfortunately, it's invite only - and from previous years, we know Anna Wintour has a very exclusive list.
What many don’t know though, is that despite the invites, attendees still have to pay to attend the high fashion night. Although, we’re not likely to see Kim Kardashian pay for a ticket anytime soon…
Vogue chief Anna Wintour has a strict guest list for the Met Gala (Photo by Theo Wargo/FilmMagic)
How much do Met Gala tickets cost?
It won’t come as a shock to many that these tickets don’t come cheap. However, things were a lot more affordable when the event first started in 1948 to raise funds for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in Manhattan. Back then, tickets would cost just $50 - but like everything, prices have drastically increased since then.
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For this year’s bash, tickets are reportedly said to set guests back a whopping $100,000, the New York Times reports.
It’s a stark increase from last year’s price, which was $75,000 per ticket.
For a whole table, you’d have to cough up a whopping $350,000, which is reportedly the same as last year.
Do celebrities pay to attend the Met Gala?
Well, no, here’s the loop hole, they actually don’t. Although we’re sure the price of a ticket wouldn’t put a dent in Kris Jenner’s bank account, celebrities aren’t actually the ones who pay.
The celebrities are formally invited by brands and designers who invite the A-List guests to take a seat. However, these still have to be approved by Wintour herself.
In addition to this, the designers custom make their looks, fly them out, and put them up for the night.
Celebrities, however, can make a personal donation to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Not a bad deal if you ask us!
Where can I watch the Met Gala?
Despite not being able to buy a ticket themselves, fans can watch the action go down on the red carpet. Unfortunately, we can’t see what’s going on inside, but all the celebrities and their looks will be streamed live across all of Vogue’s digital platforms, including YouTube, Instagram and TikTok on Monday, May 4.
The red carpet event officially starts at 6pm EST/ 3pm PST, however, eager celebs start taking to the carpet at around 4:30pm. EST/ 1:30pm PST.
E! will also be hosting a red carpet special starting at 6pm EST.
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 golden 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 rumors 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'.
Kiesha Dosanjh