Met Gala
The Met Gala or Met Ball, formally called the Costume Institute Gala or the Costume Institute Benefit, is an annual fundraising gala held for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York City. The Met Gala is popularly regarded as the world's most prestigious and glamorous fashion event and social gathering and is known as "fashion's biggest night";[4] an invitation is highly sought after. Personalities who are perceived to be culturally relevant to contemporary society amongst various professional spheres, including fashion, film, television, music, theater, business, sports, social media, and politics, are invited to attend the Met Gala,[5] organized by the fashion magazine Vogue.
This article is about the fundraising gala for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. For the Metropolitan Opera gala, see Met Gala (opera).Met Gala
Fundraising gala, contribution of $50,000 per seat to enter the 2023 Met Gala
Annual, held on the first Monday of May[1]
Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New York City
United States
1948–present[2]
May 1, 2023
May 6, 2024
The Gala is an event held annually on the first Monday of May,[6] which marks the opening of the Costume Institute's annual fashion exhibit hosted on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.[7] Many of the attendees are depicted on the covers and pages of Vogue. Each year's event celebrates the specific theme of that year's Costume Institute exhibition, which sets the tone for the formal attire of the night.
Guests are expected to curate their fashions to match the theme of the annual exhibit, generally in haute couture. Fashion executive Anna Wintour, who is the editor-in-chief of Vogue, has chaired or co-chaired the Met Gala since 1995, except for the 1996 Met Gala, which was chaired by Wintour’s successor at British Vogue, Liz Tilberis. Over time, the Met Gala has evolved beyond the New York fashion epicenter to become increasingly global and diverse in its perspective and scope.
History[edit]
The Met Gala was established in 1948 by fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert as a fundraiser for the newly founded Costume Institute to mark the opening of its annual exhibit. The first gala comprised a dinner, and tickets were 50 dollars each.[8] Over the first few decades of its existence, the Gala was simply one of many annual benefits held for New York charitable institutions. Accordingly, the attendees of the early Galas were almost entirely members of New York high society or the city's fashion industry. From 1948 to 1971, the event was held at various Manhattan venues, including the Waldorf Astoria, Central Park, and the Rainbow Room.[9]
When Diana Vreeland became consultant to the Costume Institute in 1972, the Gala began to evolve into a more global and glamorous affair, although one that was still aimed at the high-societal set.[10] The event started to become higher profile celebrity-oriented with attendees like Elizabeth Taylor, Andy Warhol, Bianca Jagger, Diana Ross, Elton John, Liza Minnelli, Madonna, Barbra Streisand, and Cher intermixing with the city's elite.[9] It was during the Vreeland years that the Gala was first held at the Met and that Gala themes were introduced.[9]
The Met Gala is widely regarded as among the most prominent and most exclusive social events in the world. It is also one of the biggest fundraising nights in New York City, with US$9 million raised in 2013, $12 million the following year, and then rising to a record $17.4 million by 2022.[11][12][13][14] The Met Gala is one of the most notable sources of funding for the Institute,[15] with total contributions surpassing $200 million for the first time after the 2019 event. Anna Wintour, the chairperson of the event, assumed the chairmanship of the Institute in 1995. Her guest list grew to include celebrities globally from the worlds of fashion, entertainment, business, sports, and politics who would eventually grace the pages of Vogue.[5]
Since 1948, the Met Gala has occurred consecutively each year, except in 2000 and 2002. The 2020 Met Gala was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[16] The Gala resumed in 2021, but was held in September rather than in May that year.[17] In 2022, the Gala returned to holding its traditional May ceremony.[18]