Each year on the first Monday in May, social media feeds are flooded with OTT frocks, questionable memes and every man and his dog’s opinion on the evening’s best (and worst) dressed.
Whether it’s Lady Gaga’s four-look performance in 2019, Rhianna’s Maison Margiela look inspired by the Pope, or Doja Cat dressing as Karl Lagerfeld’s cat — if there’s one thing the Met Gala never fails to do, it’s give us moments to talk about.
While we’ve definitely all seen the photos and probably had our fair share of thoughts on the occasionally-controversial looks (is it really that hard to stick to a theme??), do we all know why, exactly, the Met Gala is such a huge night?
Responsible for some of the most significant moments in pop culture of the year (think that iconic photo of Paul Mescal gazing over at Daisy Edgar Jones with Phoebe Bridgers on his arm), the Met Gala is not just the red carpet we all see on our feeds. Rather, the event marks the opening night of the spring exhibition in the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, also known as the Costume Institute Benefit.
The most important people in fashion, film, sport, music, business and culture come out to celebrate and raise money for the institute, giving us plenty of glitz and glamour to tune into while they’re at it. For many celebrities, an invite to the Gala signifies their “in” status and presents an opportunity to establish themselves as key cultural or fashion players. Not only is it the iconic interview moments, fashion fails or relationship hard-launches serving to create some of the biggest press moments of the year, but the guest list itself can also be an indicator of the state of clout.
In 2021, the internet was up in arms when the Gala had influencers in attendance, with Youtube star and podcaster, Emma Chamberlain being the first person to don the carpet, wearing Louis Vuitton. Emma was joined by other social media creators including Addison Rae, NikkieTutorials, Jackie Aina and Dixie D’amelio, dividing netizens on whether or not they “deserved” the prestigious invite. Three years prior, beauty influencer James Charles caused quite the stir when he claimed on Instagram that his attendance was “a step forward in the right direction for influencer representation in the media.” While the comment undoubtedly catalysed a collective eye-roll, James’ (and subsequently, his peers’) attendance underscored a broader shift in the meaning of celebrity and gave weight to the idea that new guard of influence was shaping culture.
While James’ claim was admittedly a bit wild, there’s no doubt that no matter how controversial, the uproar these Met moments have created only proves how important the exclusivity of the Met Gala is to all of us watching on at home, and how easily huge pop culture moments are both made on and reflected by that carpet.
Related: Your Guide to What Actually Goes On Inside the Met Gala
Is The Met Gala a Fundraiser?
Yes it is! Held in the iconic Metropolitan Museum of Art, the MetGala raises money and is the main source of funding for the Costume Institute at the museum.
Every year the theme the guests have to follow (or blatantly ignore) is tied to the exhibition debuting that night. For example, this year’s exhibition is Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, which inspired the dress code, Tailored For You.
Originally a fundraising dinner held for New York’s elite high society, it was Anna Wintour that embraced celebrity and turned the Met Gala into the massive pop culture moment it is today.
The Met Gala & Earned Media Value
As we’re all very much aware by now, the Met Gala is not only one of the biggest nights on the fashion calendar, but also one of the most (arguably the most) important nights in pop culture. For everyone involved, garnering exposure at the Met Gala is imperative, highly sought after and valuable AF.
Conde Nast reported that last year’s Gala had 74 million viewers on it’s owned livestreams (Vogue, YouTube and Tiktok) and in the week following, of all the content made for the Met Gala, had amassed 2.1 billion views. The Met Gala gained more media value (US$1.4b) than the Oscars and more social mentions than the Super Bowl. With coverage over multiple channels, the Met Gala aims to meet the consumer wherever they are — meaning getting your brand on the carpet or involved somehow is imperative to exposure and reputation.
Related: Everything You Need to Know About the 2025 Met Gala
The Met Gala's Iron Grip On Pop Culture
The fashion moments at the Met Gala are the biggest of the year and have the potential to become a pop culture moment on their own, allowing a designer to cement themselves in the zeitgeist (which is definitely not an easy thing to do). Designers like Maison Margeila and Thom Browne have created some of the most iconic looks of all time (think Zendaya, Rhianna and Cardi B), which create cultural conversations and push them to become a part of pop culture more widely.
For celebrities, an invite to the Met Gala is almost a “tick of approval” that you’ve made it and that you matter in pop culture.
While approval from Anna Wintour is enough to solidify your career in the public eye, it is ultimately the court of public opinion on social media that will define what your attendance at the Met means for your career — will your look mint you as a fashion icon (a la Zendaya), or spur years of memes (like Karlie Kloss)?
On paper, the point of the Met Gala may be to raise money for the Costume Institute, but there’s no denying the event serves to entertain.
