Top 5 interesting facts about Met Gala

Fashion’s biggest and most spectacular night, the Met Gala 2024, will be held on May 6. Every year, the entire world looks forward to seeing their favorite celebrities attend the event in outfits inspired by the year's theme. This year, the theme is The Garden of Time, and the event will celebrate the Costume Institute's new exhibition, Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.

The Met Gala is planned meticulously and leaves no room for error, as it is the year's most highly-anticipated fashion event. The event has been taking place for decades now, and several interesting facts related to it may interest individuals.

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Interesting facts about the Met Gala

1) The theme of the event

Those attending the Met Gala are expected to follow the theme for that particular year. Every year, the theme celebrates the Costume Institute’s latest exhibition. Last year's theme was a tribute to late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. Over the years, the event has also honored Charles James, Christian Dior, Gianni Versace, Rei Kawakubo, Alexander McQueen, and others.

This year's Met Gala theme is The Garden of Time, which is inspired by a short story by J.G. Ballard. Since the theme is open to interpretation, guests can get creative and wear exquisite outfits by world-renowned designers.

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2) The event has a no-phone rule

All the guests and attendees are meant to follow the rules set by the organization. The Met Gala is a no-phone event, hence, celebrities are not allowed to take pictures and selfies at the venue. As per The Independent, anyone found even peeking at their phones could risk being permanently banned from Met Galas in the future.

Anna Wintour recently spoke to Today Show anchor Jenna Bush Hager about the rule and shed light on the idea behind it.

"It's often wonderful to hear after dinner, people say, 'Oh, we had the most wonderful conversations.' And so that's the idea – that life can exist without a picture on your cell phone," she said.

While guests are not allowed to click pictures at the event, the iconic bathroom selfies have become something that fans look forward to every year.

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3) Top secret guest list

Anna Wintour is the final authority who will be on the guest list for the Met Gala. However, there is no guaranteed way to get an invite as the criteria for being on the guestlist is unclear. Over the years, fashion influencers, designers, actors, directors, musicians, elite athletes, and more have attended the prestigious event.

While the event usually welcomes about 450 attendees, as per Vogue, it is important to note that the guest list is kept under wraps.

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4) Ticket prices

As per CBS MoneyWatch, those invited to the 2024 event must pay $75,000. This marks a 50% increase from last year when tickets reportedly cost $50,000. The Met also reportedly told the publication that the cost of a 10-person table starts at $350,000 this year.

It is also important to note that design houses often pay for those they wish to host. As per CBS MoneyWatch, some guests also attend the event free of cost.

The proceeds of the event go to The Costume Institute and only those who have been formally invited can attend the Met Gala.

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5) Seating arrangements

Similar to the guest list, the seating arrangements for the event are also kept a secret. These arrangements are made keeping in mind the guests' interests and areas of expertise. In the documentary The First Monday in May, Vogue's Sylvana Ward Durrett said:

"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."

They added:

"The whole point of these things is to meet new people, and to be interested in what others are doing. What's the point if you come here to hang out with your husband?"

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This year's Met Gala—the year's biggest fashion event—is set to take place on May 6, 2024, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.