Getty Pictured: Rihanna
The 2018 Met Gala is an annual event and it’s being held today, with dozens of A-list celebrities walking the red carpet and the famous steps up to the fundraiser. Not only is the Met Gala said to be the Oscars for fashion and the “party of the year”, it is also a means to raise money for the Costume Institute. For all the details on the red carpet schedule, what channel to watch, the Met Gala hosts and more, read on below.
MET GALA 2018 DATE & TIME: The Met Gala is always held on the first Monday of May. This year, the event falls on May 7, 2018 and the red carpet coverage on E! airs from 6:30 – 9 p.m. ET.
MET GALA 2018 CHANNEL: For years, the Met Gala red carpet was not broadcast on television, as it is a very exclusive, private event. The red carpet was captured with photos. Recently, the event’s red carpet arrivals were allowed to air on national television and fashion fans are surely pleased. The red carpet airs on the E! network TV channel, but the actual gala itself is not filmed for television. Celebrities and attendees are discouraged from taking photos, especially selfies.
MET GALA 2018 THEME & CATHOLIC CONTROVERSY: The theme for the 2018 Met Gala, according to Fortune, is Catholicism: “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” The New York Times has also reported that, 50 pieces from the Sistine Chapel are on display at the Costume Institute for the event’s exhibit. In addition, pieces from the Met’s own collection of religious art, along with “150 designer garments that have been inspired by Catholic iconography or style” are also included. According to Vox, for centuries, papal clothing has been surrounded by controversy, as it the fashion has been debated over and over again, throughout the years.
HOW TO WATCH THE MET GALA ONLINE – MET GALA 2018 LIVE STREAM INFO: Several means of coverage on the event are available to view on Vogue and E!’s Instagram and Snapchat accounts. In addition, E! has several ways to watch their red carpet arrivals show online via live stream. The program includes interviews with celebrity attendees and designers, along with behind-the-scenes footage. Find all live stream instructions here.
MET GALA 2018 HOSTS: The hosts of this year’s event are editor-in-chief Anna Wintour (as always); fashion icon, actress music artist Rihanna; couturier Donatella Versace; and civil rights attorney Amal Clooney, according to Fortune. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the gala.
Katy Perry attends the “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between” Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2017 in New York City.
MET GALA 2018 E! RED CARPET SCHEDULE: E! News will air at a special time, from 6 – 6:30 p.m. ET and it will feature coverage of the Met Gala. Then, at 6:30 p.m. ET, E! Live From the Red Carpet at the Met Gala will air live, with Giuliana Rancic, Brad Goreski, former Teen Vogue editor-in-chief Elaine Welteroth and Zanna Roberts Rassi covering the event. An encore airing of E! News and the live red carpet coverage will then air from 10 p.m. – 1 a.m. ET/PT.
2018 MET GALA LOCATION: The Met Gala is held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute. This year’s exhibit is quite large and will span across several galleries. According to Fortune, the exhibits are held this year in the Anna Wintour Costume Center, as well as the medieval rooms in the Met on Fifth Avenue, and the Cloisters in northern Manhattan.
MET GALA 2018 TICKET COST: For those attending the Met Gala, tickets go for $30,000 per person or $275,000 per table, while many celebrities attend for free. The point is to raise money for the Costume Institute and to express oneself through fashion. Some designers even pay certain celebrities to wear their creations on the red carpet. So much time and work goes into creating many of the pieces on the red carpet. For example, actress Blake Lively told Vogue that over 600 hours have been spent working on her dress for this year’s event.