Society
The Met Gala
New York, United States
New York · May · Subject to availability
First Monday in May — dates to be confirmed
The Costume Institute's annual benefit, held on the first Monday in May, and an invitation-only occasion in the strictest sense.
The Met Gala is a fundraising benefit for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and it is invitation-only. Invitations are issued by the museum and its host committee, table places are held by the fashion houses, and attendance cannot be arranged, purchased or transferred by any third party. That should be stated plainly, because a great deal of the surrounding commentary implies otherwise. What can be arranged is everything around it. New York in the first week of May holds a dense programme of private dinners, gallery openings and the spring auction week, and the city is at its most agreeable point in the year. The Costume Institute exhibition that the benefit inaugurates opens to the public shortly afterwards and is the substantive cultural output of the occasion.
- Month
- May
- Recommended stay
- 3–4 nights
- Nearest airports
- TEB · HPN
- Typical clientele
- Invited guests of the museum and its host committee, principals of the fashion houses holding tables, and the museum's philanthropic supporters. Attendance is by invitation only.
Why it matters
The benefit funds the Costume Institute and inaugurates its annual exhibition, which is the most visited fashion exhibition in the world. The week around it — the spring auctions, the gallery programme and the private dinners — is one of the strongest of the New York year, and is where principals without an invitation spend the evening in question.
How access is arranged
The benefit is invitation-only. Invitations are issued by the museum and its host committee and cannot be arranged, purchased or transferred by Scott & Vale or by any other third party. The firm coordinates travel, accommodation, movement, dress and the surrounding New York programme for the week.
Scott & Vale coordinates travel, accommodation, ground and air movement, security, dining and itinerary design around this occasion, and makes introductions to authorised hospitality providers where such programmes exist. The firm does not sell, allocate, resell or guarantee admission.
Hospitality and travel
Where to stay
- The Carlyle
- The Mark
- The Lowell
- Aman New York
- The Surrey
Properties are listed as editorial guidance. Scott & Vale holds no inventory and no claimed relationship with any property named here.
Arrival by air
- TEB — Teterboro The principal business aviation field for New York; thirty minutes to the Upper East Side outside peak.
- HPN — Westchester County Forty-five minutes north, with slot and noise restrictions.
Helicopter. Rotations from Teterboro to the East Side heliport are practical for arrivals, though Fifth Avenue itself is closed to ordinary movement on the evening.
Dining
- Le Bernardin
- Café Boulud
- Sushi Noz
- Bilboquet
- Torrisi
Reservations are requested on a member's behalf, subject to availability.
Suggested itinerary
- 01 Day One Arrival and an evening on the Upper East Side, with fittings and dress arrangements completed in advance.
- 02 Day Two The spring auction previews and the gallery programme, which run in the same week.
- 03 Day Three The museum's own galleries in the morning and a private dinner in the evening.
- 04 Day Four The Costume Institute exhibition once it opens to the public, then departure.
Scott & Vale support
- Private Jet
- Luxury Hotels
- Luxury Chauffeur
- Restaurant Reservations
- Personal Concierge
- Executive Protection
- Luxury Shopping
- Travel Planning
Enquiry
Plan this properly, and plan it early.
An enquiry reaches the team directly with the context of this entry attached. A member of the team will respond within the hour, wherever you are.
Frequently asked
Can attendance at the benefit be arranged?
No. The Met Gala is invitation-only. Invitations are issued by the museum and its host committee and cannot be arranged, purchased or transferred by any third party.
What is the week worth to a visitor without an invitation?
A great deal. The spring auction week, the gallery programme and the private dinners across the city make it one of the strongest weeks of the New York year.
When does the exhibition open?
Shortly after the benefit, to the general public. Museum members are ordinarily admitted first, and the exhibition runs for several months.
What does Scott & Vale arrange?
Travel, accommodation, ground movement, dress arrangements, dining, security and the surrounding New York programme.
Related events
Direct: info@scottnvale.com
Event names, marks and logos referenced on this page are the property of their respective owners. Scott & Vale is not an official partner, supplier or licensee of any event, organiser or rights holder named here, and no affiliation is implied. Scott & Vale does not sell, allocate, resell or guarantee admission to any event. Travel, accommodation, ground and air movement, security, dining and itinerary design are arranged around these events, and introductions are made to authorised hospitality providers where such programmes exist.
Photography: গীতাশ্ৰী গগৈ আপ্তে — CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons; this crop is published under the same licence
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