The Party of the Year. The Oscars of the East. Fashion's Biggest Night.
The Met Gala has a lot of names, and even more lore. The annual event reliably draws the biggest stars, showcases the most daring looks and spurs the internet's most iconic memes.
Here is everything you need to know about this year's Met Gala.
What is the Met Gala?
The Met Gala, officially known as the Costume Institute Benefit, is an annual fundraiser held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
The event is traditionally held on the first Monday in May and is considered to be the highest-profile fashion event of the year. This year, the Met Gala will be held May 6.
The Costume Institute is now called the Anna Wintour Costume Center, honoring the editor-in-chief of Vogue who has helmed the event for nearly three decades.
What time does the Met Gala start?
The red carpet arrivals typically begin around 5 p.m. ET and end around 8 p.m. ET. Most red carpet livestreams, including Vogue's, will begin at 6 p.m.
But some of the most well-known guests tend to show up on the later side: Last year, Rihanna made her red carpet appearance at about 10 p.m.
What is this year's Met Gala theme?
Monday's inevitable social media discourse will not only evaluate celebrities' looks in isolation, but their adherence to the ever-elusive "theme."
The theme is simply the title of the Costume Institute’s new exhibition, "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion." In addition to the theme, which describes the overall concept of the event, the Met Gala also has a "dress code." This year's dress code is "The Garden of Time."
The dress code is derived from a 1962 short story of the same name, written by J.G. Ballard. Vogue has suggested the dress code might evoke many floral and botanical looks on this year's carpet.
The exhibit will feature around 250 rare items from the Costume Institute’s collection, including designs by Schiaparelli, Dior and more. It will comprise three main “zones” — Land, Sea and Sky — to represent natural resources and sustainable design.
While the theme is, of course, open to interpretation, expect to see plenty of vintage and archival revivals on the red carpet.
Who are the Met Gala chairs?
This year's Met Gala hosts are Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth and, of course, Wintour.
Jonathan Anderson, creative director of Loewe, and Shou Chew, CEO of TikTok, serve as honorary chairs.
Zendaya, who is fresh off the media tour for her movie "Challengers," will likely be wearing one of the most highly anticipated looks of the night.
The 27-year-old actor has attended five times, frequently collaborating with celebrity stylist Law Roach. Zendaya's Joan of Arc-inspired look from 2018 and her light-up Cinderella ballgown from 2019 are among the Gala's most iconic fashion moments.
Who is on the guest list?
Technically, the Met Gala guest list is a secret.
We won't know for certain who will be in attendance until the evening before the event. However, a few of the Gala's regulars have given some indication of whether they plan to attend.
The event always brings together A-listers across industries, from Oscar winners to Grand Slam champions. For the rich but not famous, tickets can be purchased for $75,000. Final approval of the guest list and the seating chart must go through Wintour.
Taylor Swift, who will embark on the European leg of her Eras Tour on Thursday in Paris, is reportedly not expected to attend. Rihanna, Gisele Bundchen and Kendall Jenner are likely to grace the Met steps on Monday, according to Page Six.
How do you watch the Met Gala? What channel is the Met Gala on?
Vogue will livestream the red carpet arrivals on its website. Content creator Emma Chamberlain is slated to return as the magazine's special correspondent. Actor Gwendoline Christie, producer and actor La La Anthony and model Ashley Graham are serving as carpet hosts for the publication's official stream.
The event will also be broadcast on “Live From E!” on the E! network.
Social media platforms like X, TikTok and Instagram are typically bastions of memes, hot takes and outfit reviews on Met Monday.
We will be live blogging the festivities here at NBC News.
