The Met Gala is held annually on the first Monday in May
NEED TO KNOW
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Guests must follow rules at the exclusive event, including a no-phone policy
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Attendees have to pay for a ticket, which costs $100,000
The first Monday in May has arrived, which means fashion's biggest night — a.k.a.the Met Gala— is here.
This year, another set of A-listers will ascend the iconic steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the fashionable festivities. The dress code is "Fashion Is Art," tied to the theme for the2026 Met Gala, "Costume Art," which celebrates the spring 2026 exhibition sharing the same name.
But the notoriously exclusive night isn't without its rules — and steep price tag.Vogue's global editorial director and former editor-in-chiefAnna Wintour, who has been at the helm of the Met Gala as either chair or co-chair since 1995, famously discourages attendees from offering insight into what takes place inside the hallowed halls of the Met, asking stars to refrain from using their phones or revealing too much about the night itself.
Still,Voguehas shared certain details. "Guests must abide by a no-phone (and, therefore, no social media) policy once they’ve entered the museum," anarticle on the magazine's sitereads. "But the run-of-show involves cocktails, dinner and a high-profile performer (or two). Attendees always have a moment to explore the exhibition, too."
While rumors that Wintour has toapprove everyone's looksare untrue, the event still follows strict guidelines, from how to dress to what can be shared.
Here are the most surprising rules you didn't know Met Gala attendees must follow.
Attendees have to be invited to the Met Gala
In order to attend the Met Gala, you must be invited (and just because you were invited once, that doesn't guarantee entry every year!). Celebrities, sports stars, fashion figures and other prominent pop culture names of today are among the prestigious bunch who receive invites.
The A-list guest list is kept confidential until the night before the Met Gala, though fashion fans cast predictions based on years past. Regulars who often attend, for example, includeBeyoncé,Kim Kardashian,Blake Lively,Gigi HadidandRihanna.
Plus, fashion designers are often invited to accompany their muses on the red carpet and showcase their elaborate designs. Marc Jacobs, Christian Siriano, Nicolas Ghesquière and Zac Posen are step staples.
Attendees have to pay for a Met Gala ticket
Receiving the invite is only the beginning: You must also purchase a ticket to attend, or be a guest of someone who has.
After all, at its core, the Met Gala is a fundraising event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The earnings go toward its extensive fashion collection consisting of garments and accessories from the past seven centuries.
Therefore, should you be so lucky to receive a coveted invite from Wintour, be prepared to pay upwards of thousands of dollars to enter.
This year, an individual ticket costs $100,000 (up $25,000 from 2025) — while a table starts at $350,000, perThe New York Times.
Attendees are encouraged to follow a Met Gala dress code
Each year, the Costume Institute commissions an exhibit that pulls together art-quality pieces of fashion, and the hosts issue a corresponding dress code for the gala that helps inform the attendees' ensembles for the evening.
The 2026 theme is "Costume Art" and the Met Gala dress code is "Fashion Is Art" whichVoguesaid "encourages attendees to consider the many ways that designers use the body as their blank canvas."
The dress code is one of the most talked-about aspects of the evening, with high-profile celebrities and their designers dreaming up creative, head-turning interpretations of the theme.
Some choose the literal route, others opt for avant-garde — and yet others, likeKaty Perryin 2019,go haute hamburger.
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(But if you don't have a fairy godstylist like Law Roach outfitting you and you just want an elegant gown for the evening, err on the side of formality; in past years they've specified white tie.)
Attendees aren't allowed to use their phones while at the Met Gala
Voguemaintains a "no-phone policy" within the walls of the event.
Attendees aren't allowed to post on social media inside the Met Gala
A no-phone policy inside the Met Gala means a no-social media policy from inside the event, either.
However, when the stars convene in the bathroom,it appears all bets are off!
Attendees can't smoke inside the Met Gala
WhileVoguehas its fair share of Met Gala guidelines in place, the Metropolitan Museum of Art itself has its own set of rules to ensure the safety of the guests in attendance.
No smoking is among them, outlined on themuseum's website.
"Smoking, including electronic cigarettes, is prohibited in the Museum or near the entrances," the visitor guideline reads.
In addition to the safety of the partygoers, this rule protects the priceless art inside the exhibit as well.
Attendees must sit in assigned seats at the Met Gala
Seating is thoughtfully arranged for the exclusive affair, with expert party planner Eaddy Kiernan in charge.
“We start with a seating document when the names come together in December,” she previously toldVogue.
While she says the "actual seating chart" doesn't come together until about a month before the gala, the early process gives them "a sense for the layout of the room and the flow of the evening.”
Kiernan’s goal is for everyone to have fun, pairing stars who they think "will just get on like a house on fire" and considering what guests will "talk about" if they’re seated next to each other.
"And we try to make sure someone isn’t staring into the eyes of a former flame,” she added.
Since the guest list changes every year, so does the seating chart. “It’s fun for me to look back through them, to see who was invited, who was sitting next to whom," she said. "They’re almost little time capsules of what was going on each year."
Guests must be 18 or older to attend the Met Gala
Met Gala invitees must be 18 or older to attend the event, a rule that was brought to light in May 2018 whenDance MomsalumMaddie ZieglertoldThe Hollywood Reporterthat she "can't go because I'm not old enough" at the time.
“Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination" was the Met Gala theme that year, prompting suspicion over whether the age restriction was in place because of it.
Event organizers told the outlet that it had nothing to do with the theme, rather an executive decision that “it’s not an appropriate event for people under 18.”
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