When is the Met Gala? A guide to the 2025 theme, dress code and star-studded guest list.

The 2025 Met Gala is almost here! A star-studded list of guests will arrive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 5, decked out in luxurious designs that are often viewed as works of art themselves.

Referred to as fashion’s biggest night, the Met Gala has a storied history of hosting a slew of A-listers, with past attendees including Zendaya, Kim Kardashian, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky and Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds.

The Met staircase has also been the site for a number of fashion moments. Who could forget Abracadabra hitmaker Lady Gaga’s fuchsia Brandon Maxwell gown at the 2019 Met Gala, which she eventually shed layer by layer? What about when Rihanna put her spin on saintly style at the 2018 Met Gala in her Conclave-coded, beaded corset dress and bishop’s hat by Margiela?

A nod to the Costume Institute’s 2025 spring exhibition, “Superfine: Tailoring of Black Style,” this year’s dress code, “Tailored For You,” will see celebrities taking creative liberties to curate looks inspired by menswear and suiting.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of fashion’s biggest night.

What is the Met Gala?

The Met Gala is a charity fundraiser and event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. The benefit has traditionally been timed to mark the opening of the Costume Institute’s annual exhibition. Each year, a lineup of attendees ranging from celebrities and designers to athletes and philanthropists will ascend up the venue’s famous staircase, where they’ll show off their designer looks for crowds of photographers.

Attendees are encouraged to dress according to the theme chosen by the Costume Institute.

When is the Met Gala? Where is it held?

The 2025 Met Gala will take place on Monday, May 5, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on New York City’s Upper East Side. Vogue’s editor in chief Anna Wintour, who has been in charge of the guest list since 1995, carefully selects who attends the benefit. The Met Gala is by invitation only, and guests typically attend with a brand, but individual tickets can reportedly be purchased for $75,000 apiece.

Guests who’ve nabbed a coveted ticket to the benefit typically stay at hotels nearby, like celebrity favorites, the Mark and Carlyle Hotels.

What’s the theme of the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition?

The theme of this year’s spring exhibition is “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” and will focus on the significance of “sartorial style to the formation of Black identities,” per Vogue. The exhibition was inspired by guest curator Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book, Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity.

The exhibition will be on view from May 10 through Oct. 26 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Is there a dress code for the Met Gala?

Yes! The dress code for this year’s Met Gala is “Tailored for You,” a nod to the exhibition’s focus on menswear and suiting.

Who are the Met Gala cochairs? What do they do?

The cochairs of this year’s benefit are Sing Sing actor Colman Domingo, British race car driver Lewis Hamilton, rapper A$AP Rocky, music producer Pharrell Williams and Wintour. LeBron James will serve as an honorary chair.

Wintour has never formally confirmed what exactly the cochairs do, but it’s rumored that they provide input on the benefit’s dress code and help plan the dinner and performances.

The Met Gala will also have a host committee that supports the event. This year’s committee is made up of André 3000, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Jordan Casteel, Dapper Dan, Doechii, Ayo Edebiri, Edward Enninful, Jeremy O. Harris, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Rashid Johnson, Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee, Audra McDonald, Janelle Monáe, Jeremy Pope, Angel Reese, Sha’Carri Richardson, Tyla, Usher and Kara Walker.

Can I watch the Met Gala?

Audiences won’t be able to watch what happens inside the gala itself — guests must even abide by a no-phone policy — but they will be able to watch exclusive red carpet coverage on the official Met Gala livestream starting at 6 p.m. ET.

Singer-actress Teyana Taylor, actress-producer La La Anthony and actress-comedian Ego Nwodim are set to host this year’s livestream, which will also be available across all of Vogue’s digital platforms, as well as on Vogue’s official YouTube channel.

Met Gala by the numbers

The 2024 Met Gala raised $26 million, a record sum for the star-studded event.

While there’s often speculation surrounding which celebrities will attend fashion’s biggest night, the actual guest list is kept secret until attendees arrive on the red carpet. Attending the benefit is typically by invitation only, though an individual ticket reportedly costs $75,000. Meanwhile, purchasing a table of 10, which companies and luxury design houses often do, reportedly starts at $350,000.