The Met Gala is one of the most exclusive events on the planet – but for those of us not famous enough to be invited, how much does a ticket cost?
Vogue‘s fundraising event is the place to be if you’re a celebrity. While she’s a regular now, Kim Kardashian has often spoken about her excitement at her first taste of the ball after years of allegedly being banned from attending by the magazine’s editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.
The Kardashians star first made an appearance at the 2013 event in her infamous floral gown and later admitted, “Kanye was performing so I wasn’t actually invited; I was just Kanye’s plus one. And that was okay with me because I never really dreamed I would be at the Met Ball.”
The event was started by publicist Eleanor Lambert in a bid to raise money for the then-newly founded Costume Institute. Later down the line, it took a change in direction when Diana Vreeland started as a consultant for the Institute, changing the event venue to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and introducing themes.
Nowadays the Gala is overseen by Wintour. She selects the guest list and theme and reportedly even approves the designers the guests wear.
The theme allows attendees to elaborately dress up for the occasion, and while most celebrities are either gifted or borrow a designer outfit for the event, paying guests will have to splash out on a dress too.
Here, we take a closer look at the expense behind the event.
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How much does a ticket to the Met Gala cost?
When the Gala first began, tickets only cost $50. It was held at a variety of locations, including Central Park and the Rainbow Room.
Since then, it’s grown to become one of the most extravagant events to happen in the USA.
Various prices have been listed for a Met Gala ticket and the cost seems to rise year on year. According to the Evening Standard it cost $35,000 for a single ticket in 2019 and $200-300,000 for a table at the event, while Yahoo reportedly paid $3million for two tables at the Met Gala in 2015.
In 2023, Page Six report that tickets went for $50,000. Just because you can afford it doesn’t mean you’re definitely able to attend though. The event is invitation only, and only 600 people are said to be selected.
The price of a ticket has increased dramatically since Wintour took over running the event way back in 1995, when tickets were apparently just $1,000 – a drop in the ocean compared to the current expense.
However the high price of a ticket does of course go towards fundraising for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City and in 2018, it raised $13million for the Institute.
Who is invited to the Met Gala?
Only the most prestigious celebrities are invited to the event.
In 2023, Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Rihanna, Stormzy, Janelle Monae, Daisy Ridley, Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell were among the chosen ones!
When is the Met Gala?
The event happens on the first Monday of May, which this year landed on May 1. It honoured the legacy of Karl Lagerfeld.
What is this year’s Met Gala theme?
The Met Gala 2023 theme was dubbed ‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty’ and explored his iconic designs throughout his career, which included include 150 of his creations.
The looks took inspiration from Lagerfeld’s extensive portfolio of designs from his time as creative director at Chanel, Chloé, Fendi, and Lagerfeld’s own fashion house.
