How Does One Get Invited To The Met Gala: Inside The Exclusive Guest List
With fashion’s biggest night just weeks away, the age-old question bubbles back to the surface: How do you score an invite to the Met Gala? Spoiler alert — it’s not easy, and it definitely won’t leave your bank account untouched. Getting through the doors of the Met is less about money and more about influence, connections, and being on the ever-watchful radar of Anna Wintour herself. It’s a carefully curated guest list where cultural relevance, fashion credibility, and star power collide — and even then, nothing’s guaranteed.
Back in 1948, when the first Met Gala took place as a $50-a-plate dinner dreamed up by fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert, no one could’ve predicted it would evolve into the colossal, culture-defining spectacle it is today. In those early years, the guest list was made up mostly of New York’s high society and fashion insiders. Surprisingly, the gala didn’t even take place at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Instead, it was hosted at some of the city’s most iconic venues, like the Rainbow Room and the Waldorf Astoria. Fast forward to 1973, when the legendary Diana Vreeland took over as consultant to the Costume Institute — and with her genius came the concept of themed nights, kicking off with a Cristóbal Balenciaga retrospective that set the tone for the fashion fantasy we now know and obsess over.
Vogue
Suddenly, New York’s elite were rubbing elbows with the likes of Cher, Andy Warhol, Diana Ross, and Mick and Bianca Jagger, sparking a new level of glamour that would define Met Gala history for decades to come. Gifting us with iconic moments that are immortalized in every fashion book:
Cher in Bob Mackie 80’s
Lady Diana in Dior 90’s
Nicole Kidmanin Gucci 2000’s
Kate Moss in Marc Jacobs 2009
Rhianna in Guy Pei 2015
Zendaya in Dolce & Gabanna 2017
When Anna Wintour took over as chairperson in 1995, the Met Gala began its transformation into the high-wattage, ultra-exclusive event we recognize today. The guest list evolved into a carefully curated list of Hollywood A-listers, fashion royalty, cultural icons, and rising stars — all handpicked (or at least Wintour-approved). While the exact criteria for an invite remain notoriously sealed, the goal is clear: maximum cultural impact and global attention.
Invitations are extended to musicians, actors, athletes, creatives, and to the new controversial status holders: influencers. However, most guests attend under the wing of a major fashion house or designer — think Chanel, Valentino, Louis Vuitton — who not only pay for the entrance but also style their chosen muses for the evening.
But make no mistake — the Met Gala is still, at its core, a fundraiser. And access comes at a price. A single ticket reportedly cost $75,000 last year, while tables start around $350,000. That said, the money goes toward a good cause. The 2024 gala raised a record-breaking $26 million for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, reinforcing the event’s original purpose: celebrating the opening of its annual fashion exhibition — keeping art alive takes a village or at least a great styling team.