Met Gala 2024: what is the theme, how to watch and how much does a ticket cost?

Celebrities are heading to the red carpet for fashion’s biggest night, the Met Gala, which will take place this Monday night (6/5).

Artists and business moguls will be among those dressing to impress at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (known informally as The Met) fundraiser in New York.

The 2024 edition of the extravagant event is inspired by The Garden of Timea short story by British science fiction author JG Ballard (1930-2009).

The annual gala raises money for the museum’s Costume Institute.

This year’s theme was chosen to complement the institute’s next exhibition, Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion (“Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion”, in free translation).

The Met Gala’s popularity has exploded under the stewardship of Vogue’s global editorial director Anna Wintour

Here’s a quick guide to the event.

Those outside the world of fashion will never be able to see up close the cocktails and private dinners that are part of the million-dollar fundraiser.

But fashion admirers can watch their favorite artists and influencers walk a long red carpet.

Guests begin arriving at the Met and climb the grand staircase of the iconic museum in New York to the sound of the clicks of a thousand cameras starting at 7pm this Monday (Brasília time).

But expect late arrivals – singer Rihanna, for example, was the last to walk the red carpet in 2023, in a Valentino dress with a five-meter train, and alongside her husband A$AP Rocky.

Fashion magazine Vogue, which organizes the event, will broadcast the red carpet live exclusively on its website and across all its digital platforms.

International viewers can tune in via TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).

The Met Gala theme usually serves as a prelude to the Costume Institute’s spring 2024 exhibition — and this year is no different.

The exposure Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion uses technology to “give new life” to clothes from the Met archives, which are so fragile they can no longer be worn and must remain under glass.

Artificial intelligence, computer-generated imagery, X-rays and soundscapes will be used in “creative, immersive activations designed to convey the smells, sounds, textures and movements” of these items, according to the museum’s website.

The dress code for the red carpet is inspired by JG Ballard’s dystopian tale in which the last bastion of the super-rich is invaded by a working-class mob.

Some are interpreting the theme as an exploration of the ideas of rebirth, renewal, creation and destruction.

For an event that celebrates wealth and excess in an era of economic uncertainty and global volatility, the theme may sound a little over the top.

The short answer is: there’s no way. Fashion’s biggest night is scheduled for a cocktail and dinner for around 400-450 guests.

Celebrities and brands snatch up all the tickets and tables available at the charity event.

An individual ticket costs around US$75,000 (around R$380,000).

A table with ten seats costs from US$350,000 (R$1.7 million).

In 1995, Wintour’s first year managing the event, a ticket cost just $1,000.

Last year, the ball raised around US$22 million, in an edition that paid homage to designer Karl Lagerfeld (1933-2019).

Wintour has recruited four big names to serve as co-hosts for this year’s event: Latin music stars Bad Bunny and Jennifer Lopez, American actress Zendaya and Australian actor Chris Hemsworth.

Co-hosts help promote the event, plan the theme and dinner, and arrive early for the red carpet.

Serving as honorary chairs are Shou Zi Chew, CEO of TikTok, and Jonathan Anderson, creative director of fashion house Loewe’s.

TikTok — currently at risk of being banned in the US — and Loewe’s are sponsoring the ball and exhibition.

The Met Gala guest list is always top secret, but several celebrities have already confirmed their presence.

Rihanna said she will be there, and we can expect her to be accompanied by her partner, rapper A$AP Rocky.

We can also expect to see J-Lo’s partner Ben Affleck, as well as Zendaya’s Tom Holland.

Other names to watch out for on the red carpet include Ayo Edebiri, Dua Lipa, Emma Stone, Lily Gladstone, Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Kate Moss, Blake Lively, Lil Nas X and Lea Michele.

Power couple Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are not expected to attend. Neither does Jared Leto, who often stands out among the participants.

There is also speculation about the likelihood of appearances from Sean “Diddy” Combs, who is facing multiple sexual misconduct lawsuits, and Kendrick Lamar, who is locked in a heated war of words with rival rapper Drake.

From Brazil, actress Bruna Marquezine and influencer Monica Mamudo indicated on their social networks that they will be at tonight’s event.