Everything You Need To Know About The 2024 Met Gala

Throughout the year, a few red carpets capture our attention, but there’s only one that has us talking for days afterwards. Of course, we’re talking about the Met Gala. Hosted at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the Met Gala is the most exciting day on the fashion calendar and never fails to have everyone embrace their inner fashion critic. 

The theme is different every year, and changes according to the theme of museum’s spring exhibition. The Met Gala red carpet is an opportunity for designers and attendees alike to take real chances with their fashion, crafting true show-stoppers that get everyone talking. When it comes to the Met Gala, bigger is always better.

Ahead, we answer all the questions you might have about this year’s gala, including what this year’s theme is (and what it means for the fashion), as well as where to watch it and who’s attending. 

The Met Gala always takes place on the first Monday in May, but due to the time difference, Australians will be more familiar with watching the red carpet on the first Tuesday in May. This year, that is May 7, and red carpet arrivals will probably begin around 8am (AEST).

The 2024 Met Gala theme is ‘Garden of Time’.

Like previous years, the Met Gala theme will be a celebration of the Costume Institute’s annual spring exhibition, which is ‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion’. 

The exhibition, which will be open to the public following the Met Gala, from May 10 to September 2, 2024, will span 400 years of history, drawing from the Costume Institute’s permanent collection and featuring pieces rarely seen by the public. It will include designs from Elsa Schiaparelli, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, and many more.

Within the exhibition, there are around 15 historically significant and extremely rare pieces that are too delicate to ever be worn again, which Andrew Bolton, Wendy Yu Curator in Charge of the Costume Institute, explains are the “sleeping beauties” the exhibition is named after. 

As for what this means for the ‘Garden of Time’ dress code itself, the most obvious interpretation is to embrace the “garden” aspect, with dark and moody florals (see, the exhibition’s "Tulipes Hollandaises" evening cloak worn by Charles Frederick Worth in the 1800s). Other attendees may lean into the concept of fleeting beauty or time — both key themes in this year’s exhibition. 

Since 1995, the Met Gala has been hosted by Anna Wintour, Editor-in-Chief of American Vogue and Global Editorial Director of Condé Nast. This year, she has named Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, and Chris Hemsworth as co-chairs for the event, which means they will officially be welcoming attendees to The MET on May 7. This follows last year’s co-chairs, Penélope Cruz, Michaela Coel, Roger Federer, Dua Lipa.

According to Vogue, the Met Gala usually has roughly 450 attendees, including the biggest celebrities in the world and many influential people, including politicians and the who’s who of the tech and creative industries.

Celebrities like Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Lady Gaga, as well as digital creators like Emma Chamberlain, are usually in attendance, but the actual guest list is kept under wraps until the day of, when the stars descend on the red carpet.

In 2024, TikTok is the lead sponsor for the “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” exhibition, so we can likely expect to see some of the platforms biggest creators in attendance alongside a-listers.

Though the specific details on how to watch the Met Gala red carpet in 2024 are yet to be released, it’s usually easiest to view via Vogue’s digital channels. Last year, the carpet was live-streamed on the Vogue website, and on the brand’s Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter pages.

For a curated view of the red carpet, you can also visit the Refinery29 Australia homepage and Instagram, as we’ll be live posting the best looks from the day.