What Actually Happens Inside The Met Gala? Everything To Know About The Mysterious Event (2024)

There’s one big question you’ll probably find yourself wondering as the celebrities pose their way up the steps of New York City’s Metropolitan Museum on the biggest night of the fashion calendar: What exactly happens inside the Met Gala?

While the red carpet event is most certainly the main attraction—it’s the night for stars to wear the biggest, boldest outfits of their career, after all—the actual event they’re all there for in the first place is extremely mysterious.

In comparison, the Oscar’s red carpet is undoubtedly a highlight of the night, but we all know exactly what goes on inside the actual ceremony too. The same goes for most red carpet events.

So why are the ins and outs of a Met Gala so mysterious? Here, we investigate what really goes on inside.

Why is the Met Gala so secretive?

Celebrities who go to the Met Gala are banned from taking any social media photos from inside the event. The rule apparently came into play because as it was, guests were spending too much time on their phones and not being present for the high-brow evening.

Of course, guests have bent the rules somewhat in recent years, with several humble bathroom selfies from inside the event subsequently becoming nearly as famous as the red carpet itself.

Yes, the Met Gala is still an exhibition

While the Gala itself has a sit-down portion of the night (we’ll get to that part soon), celebrities do have a look around the exhibition itself after the red carpet.

Indeed, the Met Gala event marks the opening of the Museum’s annual fashion exhibit—this is also why the event itself is themed each year, with the guests themselves dressed in line with it. This year, the exhibit will focus on ‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty’, dedicated to the contributions of the long-serving Chanel creative director, who passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2019.

In an interview with Insider, a former dinner server, Mike Hartman, confirmed that celebrities “moved between rooms of the Metropolitan Museum throughout the event”.

Presumably, they were viewing the items displayed in the exhibition, although we’re willing to bet some guests get a little distracted while catching up with celebrity friends.

Met Gala live performances

Each year the Met Gala hosts a series of live performers to at various stages of the evening. Although, some are more party-focused than others…

For instance, in 2018, guests were reportedly “greeted by Katy Perry and the Children’s Choir from The Vatican, and were honoured with some songs from them.”

“After that is when they headed over to the Petrie Court of the museum where dinner was held.”

The Met Gala can also turn into ~quite~ the party.

Let’s also not forget the iconic footage of Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston dancing to The Weeknd at the 2016 Gala.

co*cktail hour is on

After touring the exhibitions and presumably during the live performance, guests enjoy a brief co*cktail party, just to really get the night going.

Guests are seated by designer

Of the 300-500 guests reportedly in attendance at each year’s event, tables are separated into groups of 15 to 20 people.

But if you’re an elite celebrity, you’ll likely be seated at a smaller table depending on which designer you’re wearing.

“I was serving Anna Wintour and Amal Clooney’s table, as well as having the Balmain and Gucci tables,” Hartman claimed.

To add, guests are only allowed an hour to actually eat the food, and meals are served directly onto the plates of the celebrity guests.

A carefully curated menu

Onion, garlic and parsley are strictly prohibited from the Met Gala to avoid bad breath, according to a wild 2016 report from the New York Post.

Bruschetta is also off the menu just in case it spills on guest’s outfits.

As for what’s on the menu? It changes every year depending on the theme, with last year’s event helmed by Bon Appetit advisor Marcus Samuelsson who oversaw the creation of a plant-based menu which reflected the theme of ‘In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion’.

Canapés included coconut buttermilk cornbread, Roe’s black rice porcini arancini with pumpkin Calabrian chili sauce, and watermelon tart with smoked yuzu soy on a panipuri cracker..

Vogue also revealed guests were served a salad with farm-to-table ingredients as the starter, followed by a main of creamy barley with corn, pickled turnips, and roasted maitake. To top it off, an apple mousse and apple confit with a calvados glaze for dessert.