The Met Gala is nearly here, with stars from across the world preparing to descend on New York for one of fashion’s most talked-about evenings.
Hosted at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and overseen once again by Anna Wintour, this year’s gala is themed around Costume Art.
While the public usually only catches the red-carpet images and headline-making moments, the event itself runs on a long list of behind-the-scenes rules that shape the night.
Those rules stretch from carefully controlled seating to the eye-watering cost of entry — and even cover what guests can eat and who is allowed through the doors.
Here’s how it all works.
To begin with, the Met Gala is strictly invite-only, and attendees must be 18 or older.
The guest list is closely managed by Wintour, and the tight security and planning mean it’s not an event anyone can simply crash.
And if you’re wondering about the price tag: tickets are famously expensive. The New York Times reports that this year a single ticket is $100,000.
That’s up from $75,000 last year — a $25,000 jump.
It’s a far cry from the gala’s earliest days. When it launched in 1948 to fundraise for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, tickets reportedly cost just $50.
Even so, most celebrities aren’t personally paying that amount.
In many cases, brands and fashion houses purchase tables and invite high-profile guests to attend with them. Celebrities can still choose to make a personal donation to the museum if they want, but it isn’t required.
The dress code is also treated as a must, rather than a suggestion — guests are expected to interpret the theme, not ignore it.
Anyone who’s watched The Kardashians during Met season will have seen how intense the preparation can be, with outfits and concepts often developed for months once the theme is revealed.
Inside the event, the seating plan is another major operation. Eaddy Kiernan, who helps organize the Met Gala each year, has spoken about how early the process begins and how much effort goes into finalizing placements.
“We start with a seating document when the names come together in December,” Kiernan previously told Vogue. “The actual seating chart doesn’t come together until about a month before the event, when we get a sense for the layout of the room, and the flow of the evening.”
She added that the thinking goes well beyond simple name recognition.
“Our ideal pairing would maybe be two people who we think will just get on like a house on fire, but who may not even realize that they have a lot in common,” she divulged. “So with each person, we really do take time to think, ‘What will they talk about?’”
There are also practical considerations — and a bit of social diplomacy — built into the plan.
Eaddy continued: “We try and think a lot about sight lines and where people have sat in the past. And we try to make sure someone isn’t staring into the eyes of a former flame.”
Another rule is clear: smoking is not permitted at the Met Gala — although not every guest has followed that in the past.
Back in 2017, Bella Hadid, Dakota Johnson and Marc Jacobs were among those photographed smoking in the bathrooms. The following year, attendees were reportedly reminded that it’s “illegal to smoke in the museum”.
Indoor smoking in New York City has been banned since 2003, and invitations to the gala have reiterated the policy.
Phones are also off-limits inside. Anna Wintour summed up the reasoning in comments to Today: “It’s often wonderful to hear, after dinner, people say, ‘Oh we had the most wonderful conversations.’ So that’s the idea, that life can exist without a picture on your cell phone.”
Even the menu has restrictions. With so many photos being taken and so much time spent talking, certain foods are reportedly avoided for practical (and cosmetic) reasons.
According to the New York Post, parsley is among the items said to be discouraged because it could get stuck in teeth before pictures. Onion and garlic are also reportedly banned to help prevent bad breath.