The biggest night in fashion has come and gone -- and the stars aligned in Manhattan.
Hailed as "the party of the year," the Met Gala unites A-listers across industries, from, of course, fashion, to sports, film, tech, politics and more, under one roof for a black-tie spectacle unlike any other. Attendees have to be invited, and tickets are $75,000 a person. It's a cash cow for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, raising $22 million last year.
This year's theme was "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion" and the dress code...well, there were a lot of florals. Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya, Bad Bunny and Chris Hemsworth were your chairs.
We've got you covered with all the excitement from Monday night. Follow along below:
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Swift skips
You'll have to wait longer than a fortnight for Taylor Swift's Met Gala return.
The "Cruel Summer" singer skipped this year's event in New York City to prepare for the European leg of her sold-out Eras Tour, E! News confirms.
Rihanna no-show?
Days after Rihanna confirmed her RSVP for the 2024 Met Gala, the Grammy winner had to cancel her appearance at the star-studded event.
So why was the Fenty Beauty founder unable to take a bow on the arrivals carpet that she has reigned over for years? Her rep confirmed to E! News that she came down with the flu.
All the stars have arrived. Now what?
By Jennifer Vazquez and The Associated Press
Thanks to the notorious no-phone rule, which means none of the celebs have access to social media, the public doesn't really get to know what happens once everyone has arrived.
It’s a party, for sure, with cocktails and dinner for about invited 400 guests, but it’s also a huge fundraiser for the Met’s Costume Institute, the only department at the museum required to pay for itself. Last year, the gala raised about $22 million.
Zendaya...take 2
After rocking a green and blue floral look when she first arrived, Zendaya returned hours later...with a dark side.
The star came back wearing a full black dress with an accompanying corset, and one of the longer trains seen at the gala this year.
Completing her stunning transformation was a bouquet of bright and colorful roses adorned on her head, held together with a black head piece.
Protesters try to disrupt Met Gala arrivals
Video showed a couple of pro-Palestinian protesters try to interrupt the celebrities' arrivals at the Met Gala, but through much of the evening, there was little in terms of interference.
Two protesters were seen jumping out in front of cameras across the street from the Met Museum, each one holding signs. One of them called for an end of U.S. aid to Israel. The two individuals, a man and a woman, were quickly escorted away by police.
A larger group of protesters who started at Columbia University and went to Hunter College then made it up to East 83rd Street and Madison Avenue, about a block away from the Met Gala events. Multiple arrests were reported from that protest, but it was not clear how many. That group did not have any impact on the ala's proceedings.
Doja Cat heads out in a towel
Was Doja Cat running late?
Following up her feline-driven outfit from Met Gala 2023, the singer-songwriter was seen leaving The Mark Hotel in Manhattan sporting a towel around her body and another wrapped around her head. She even sported makeup running down her face.
But to those thinking she was rushed out the door, don't worry — she still had time to get on a pair of see-through stilettos.
And if you thought that look left little to the imagination, her barely there outfit on the arrivals carpet was even more revealing.
Internet's choice for winner of the night?
With all the big names coming to this year's Met Gala, there may be an early surprise for fan favorite of the night.
Demi Moore wore a very floral-inspired dress with "pink peonies procured from dead stock wallpaper," according to Vogue. The look took the internet by storm after she arrived.
Lana goes "Into the Woods"
Following the nature theme closely, Lana del Rey was dressed in a beige veil held up by branches that came together to form a woodsy crown. The branches extended down the length of her dress, giving her a forest queen look.
The singer was also holding a red rose, even more in line with the garden theme.
"Dune" star gives stunning dress reveal
Rebecca Ferguson had a Met Gala outfit for the birds.
The "Dune" star had a great reveal for her black and silver dress she wore. She arrived cloaked in a black overcoat, but quickly shed it to reveal the monochromatic ensemble.
On the inside of the coat were dark birds on a light blue background.
Florals dominate
Florals in Spring? Groundbreaking.
With a theme like "The Garden of Time," a lot of flower-y looks had to be expected. And stars did not disappoint.
Some went for a very, very literal interpretation — like Jessica Serfaty Michel. The actress went heavy on the flowers paired with a bright pink dress.
In her first Met Gala, Ayo Edibiri also sprung for a floral look.
Jessica Biel returned for her first Met Gala in more than a decade, with a flowing pink dress covered in petals.
For a full breakdown of all the looks at the 2024 Met Gala, click here.
The sands of Tyla
In a look that quickly become one of the most talked about of the evening early on, South African singer and songwriter Tyla incorporated actual nature in her Met Gala look, donning a dress that she confirmed was made of actual sand.
She paired the look with a handbag that looks like an hourglass.
Reviewing the looks for the Met Gala chairs
The "New York Live" team offers their takes on the Met Gala arrivals of the co-chairs Zendaya, Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez, and Chris Hemsworth.
Lea Michele shows off baby bump
We have our first baby bump spotting of the night.
Actress Lea Michelle, who announced she was pregnant in late March, donned a baby blue dress with floral notes along a shoulder strap. Could the blue color be a nod to her possibly having a baby boy?
Zendaya rocks floral look
When it comes to staying on theme, Zendaya certainly nailed it.
The final co-chair of the 2024 Met Gala to arrive, Zendaya was seen in a flowing blue and green dress with plenty of leafy features that made her one with nature.
"As one of this evening’s official Met Gala co-hosts, #Zendaya was bound to deliver a memorable fashion moment on the red carpet," Vogue shared on X.
This year marks Zendaya's first Met Gala appearance since 2019, when she donned a fairytale princess-inspired look for that year's theme, Camp: Notes on Fashion.
Couples at the Met Gala
By NBC Staff
Over the years, the Met Gala has been a place where many major Hollywood couples have made their debut or made a big splash. From Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra, to Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, take a look at some of the biggest names to step out together — and how they looked while doing so.
See the looks Chris Hemsworth and Bad Bunny are sporting as first two co-chairs arrive
The first of the 2024 Met Gala co-chairs have arrived.
Chris Hemsworth sported a champagne-colored suit, very similar in shade to the color of the carpet the celebs will be walking throughout the evening. Under the three-piece suit was a silk shirt of the same color.
Bad Bunny opted for darker tones, dressed almost entirely in navy blue with red strip accents on his pants. He also had dark sun glasses and a dark, velvety oversized beret. To keep with the "The Garden of Time" theme, he came with a bouquet of dark flowers as well.
Anna Wintour arrives
Anna Wintour, the Global Editorial Director of Vogue, was among the early arrivals, as per usual. She sported a white dress under a full-length black overcoat adorned with florals along the length of the piece.
"The look #Loewe’s Jonathan Anderson created for Anna Wintour was inspired by the Tulip-strewn cape in “Sleeping Beauties,” which was designed by Charles Frederick Worth, who is considered to be the first couturier," Vogue said on X.
Arrivals carpet revealed
Here is a first look at the transformed stairs at The Met ahead of the stars' arrivals. It follows closely along with the theme "The Garden of Time" — find out more about the theme here.
Take a look inside a 5-star suite given to an A-lister
By NBC Staff
Access Hollywood was given an exclusive look at a five-bedroom suite at The Mark Hotel in New York's Upper East Side that will be given to one of the A-list celebs who will strut down the Met Gala's red carpet on Monday night.
In a video tour led by digital creator Eric Sedeño, also known as @Ricotaquito on TikTok, the 5,000-square-foot suite is shown to come with a large living room, dining room, office, as well as five bedrooms, including a primary suite with an outside terrace.
Most controversial looks on the Met Gala carpet
By Linda Gaudino
Fashion's biggest night is full of stunning fits, but some designs have stirred controversy. NBC New York's Linda Gaudino takes a look back at some of the more questionable fashion choices.
Will Taylor Swift be at the Met Gala?
By Mike Gavin
“We never go out of style.” Here are the gowns Taylor Swift has worn at her six Met Gala appearances as speculation continues about her attendance at the 2024 event. Will she or won't she is the big question so many observers are watching.
What happens inside the Met Gala? It's a secret
By Jennifer Vazquez
The Met Gala captivates the eyes of the fashion world every single year -- but part of the awe of the night's festivities are not the big names walking the red carpet in outstanding outfits, but rather that that is all we see.
That's right -- the night is very hush-hush. Not much else aside from the fashionable entrances is made public, and apparently it is designed that way.
One of the main rules, that helps to keep the allure and mystery of the Met Gala alive is the fact that what happens inside is so secretive thanks to the no-phone rule -- and by extension no social media -- that all invitees must abide by, according to Vogue.com.
However, like all rules, there are exceptions. Apparently, celebrities have gotten around the no-photos rule by ... sneaking them in while socializing in the bathrooms!
Zendaya, Bad Bunny, JLo and Chris Hemsworth chair this year's Met Gala. Here are their past looks
By The Associated Press
Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth and Zendaya will join Vogue’s Anna Wintour as co-chairs of this year’s Met Gala, the magazine and the Metropolitan Museum of Art revealed in February.
Lopez has been on the guest list 13 times and Zendaya five. This is Bad Bunny’s third year at the gala and the first for Hemsworth. Check out their past outfits.
The 2024 Met Gala ‘Garden of Time' theme and dress code, explained
By Sandra Escallón
Prepare for the 2024 Met Gala red carpet to look like a beautiful bouquet.
On May 6, the biggest and brightest stars will step out in their most fantastical designs at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. This year, the annual event — hosted by Anna Wintour and cochairs Bad Bunny, Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez and Chris Hemsworth — will celebrate the Costume Institute's new exhibition: "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion," in which the theme is "The Garden of Time."
That means fans can expect to see an explosion of florals and nature-inspired designs on the red carpet.
10 most fabulous entrances in Met Gala history
By Jennifer Vazquez
The Met Gala is known as "fashion's biggest night" -- and rightfully so!
While many of us watch from the comfort of our own couches the countless celebrities walking the carpet for mere minutes of fashion splendor... those few minutes walking up the Metropolitan Museum of Art's steps is all that it takes for the stylish entrances and looks of the night to reach millions across the globe and become entrenched in fashion lore.
This year's theme is “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.” The reference is not to the fairy tale, though, but to treasured garments from the vast collection at the Costume Institute — some too fragile to hang upright. Museum curators will place them in glass cases, like Sleeping Beauty herself.
And with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny and Chris Hemsworth as co-chairs of this year's star-studded event, draw-dropping fashion moments will surely take place.
In honor of the big event, we look back at the top 10 most iconic entrances and looks of Met Galas past.
The history of the Met Gala, considered 'party of the year'
By Yessi Hernández, Sandra Escallón
It's an iconic night, where the Metropolitan Museum of Art becomes the spot to welcome worldwide stars and celebrities to the "party of the year." The Met Gala has done that for more than 70 years.
But how did this tradition start and become the event for fashion and art lovers?
The Costume Institute Benefit, also known as The Met Gala, began in 1948 as a midnight supper that invited guests could attend for $50 a ticket, said the museum. Created by publicity doyenne Eleanor Lambert, who called the event the "Party of the Year," it raised funds to support The Costume Institute and celebrated the opening of its major annual exhibition.
