2024 Met Gala: How to Watch This Year’s Event (Live Updates)

When the Costume Institute began it was the Museum of Costume Art, which was formed in 1937. In 1946 that museum merged with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which became the new home of the Costume Institute. The annual gala began in 1948 to raise funds for the Costume Institute and was later referred to as the “Met Gala.” Every year, the star-studded affair takes place at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

The first Met Gala kicked off in 1948 and was initially known as The Costume Institute Benefit. It started as a midnight supper. At the time, ticket prices were a mere $50. In 1973 the evening issued its first theme. And in 1995, Vogue partnered with the event for the first time, putting Anna Wintour at the helm.

The Met Gala is how the star-studded event is commonly referred to, though it’s formally called the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit. Each year, the Met Gala provides the department with its primary source of annual funding for exhibitions, publications, acquisitions, operations, and capital improvements. The first Met Gala kicked off in 1948. Last year, the event raised $22 million for the Costume Institute. 

Florals, for spring, groundbreaking. In February, the Met Gala announced that the dress code is “The Garden of Time,” which is inspired by J.G. Ballard’s 1962 short story of the same title. According to Vogue, “the most obvious interpretation would be to embrace the ‘garden’ part of ‘The Garden of Time.’ Think melancholic florals (as moody florals aren’t moody enough).”

Several fashion houses including Carolina Herrera and Vetements have already teased their contributions to the night’s fashion.

In addition to the co-chairs, the Met Gala always boasts a star-studded guest list, complete with daring, demure, and delicate fashions. Anna Wintour is in charge of the guest list, keeping it mostly secret prior to the event. However, Rihanna has already confirmed her forthcoming appearance. Riri told British Vogue that she’ll be at the swanky soirée while teasing her red carpet look.

“I’m gonna wear Fenty something! Fenty Beauty, Fenty Skin, Fenty Savage,” she confirmed.

Longtime Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour has served as a co-chair for the annual event since the magazine’s partnership with Met Gala began in 1995. And this year’s co-chairs also include Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Hemsworth, and Bad Bunny. Jonathan Anderson, creative director of LOEWE, and Shou Chew, TikTok’s CEO, are honorary co-chairs.

The Met Gala takes place (almost) every year on the first Monday in May at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The red carpet begins at 6 p.m. ET and runs until the final star (historically, Rihanna) arrives. 

This year’s Met Gala theme is “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.” Max Hollein, CEO of The Met, said in a statement that the “innovative” exhibition — and the accompanying star-studded annual fundraising gala — will “push the boundaries of our imagination and invite us to experience the multisensory facets of a garment.”

According to the announcement, the exhibition will include garments that span over 400 years, and will be “visually united by iconography related to nature, which will serve as a metaphor for the fragility and ephemerality of fashion.”