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Met Gala 2025: From SRK and Diljit to Kiara and PC — How Does One Get Invited to Fashion's Biggest Night?
It’s not about fame alone. As Shah Rukh Khan, Kiara Advani and Diljit Dosanjh gear up for this year’s gala, insiders reveal what it really takes to score an invite — and why there’s no cutting in line.
Every year, the first Monday of May marks the highly-anticipated Costume Institute Benefit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art — better known as the Met Gala. Under the stewardship of Vogue’s editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, this once-traditional black-tie fundraiser has turned into a global pop culture event — and of course, fashion’s biggest night.
Naturally, everyone wants a coveted spot on the ultra-exclusive guest list — and the line to get in only gets longer each year.
“The Met Gala is truly unlike any other red carpet in the year,” says stylist Anaita Shroff Adajania, deeming it the fashion event to be at annually. Having styled actors and celebrities for the Gala over the past six years, she explains, “Everyone dresses to raise money for the iconic fashion exhibition that follows at the Met, but it’s not just about glamour — it’s about expressing individuality, interpreting a theme, and pushing creative boundaries.”
Famously, the Met Gala enforces a strict no-phone, no-selfie policy — with the bathroom often serving as the unofficial safe zone for a quick snap.
As Adajania notes, each year’s theme is drawn from the accompanying exhibition, and in 2025, that theme is “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” According to the Costume Institute’s official description, the exhibit “presents a cultural and historical examination of Black style from the 18th century to the present through an exploration of the concept of dandyism.”
But how does one get invited in the first place?
With stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Diljit Dosanjh, Priyanka Chopra and Kiara Advani speculated to grace the 2025 Met Gala, The Hollywood Reporter India speaks to past attendees of the prestigious event — uncovering what it really takes to make it onto fashion’s most exclusive guest list, and reflecting on the unforgettable magic of the night itself.
The Coveted Guest list
Unlike many other charitable events, one can’t simply buy their way in by purchasing a table. No matter how sizable the donation, every attendee must receive Wintour’s personal stamp of approval to secure a seat at fashion’s most coveted event.
“Securing a table at the Met Gala is an exclusive process, primarily managed through direct invitations from Anna Wintour’s office,” attests Hyderabad-based businesswoman and philanthropist Sudha Reddy, who attended the event in 2021 and 2024 respectively. “These invitations are typically extended through established alliances with prominent design houses that sponsor tables aligned with the Met's meticulously curated annual theme. Alternatively, individuals who have demonstrated significant patronage and support for the MET Museum may also receive invitations.”
A report by Cosmopolitan revealed that tickets to the 2024 Met Gala ranged from $50,000 to $75,000, while securing an entire table came with a price tag of at least $300,000. Of course, that hefty sum includes early access to the exhibit, a lavish dinner and drinks. Still, it’s a far cry from the prices during Anna Wintour’s first year at the helm — back in 1995, tickets were reportedly just $1,000, according to the BBC.
In fact, an interview with Page Six revealed that the 2023 tickets were so expensive that it caused some people to opt out. “For every person that decides not to go, 20 people will line up behind them and beg to come. Will Anna want those people? Maybe, maybe not,” added a source in the article.
Reddy continues, “What surprised me most was the intimate atmosphere, despite its grand scale and global attention. Beyond the spectacle, there’s a palpable sense of camaraderie and mutual respect among the guests.” She notes that It’s a unique environment where individuals from diverse backgrounds come together to celebrate the intersection of art culture and fashion.
Adajania agrees, noting how she, too, was taken aback by the sense of humility that everyone carried themselves with. She finds the moments before the carpet to be the most surprising. “The biggest celebrities in the world — people you’d expect to be swept through in a flurry — stand patiently in line for their moment on the steps. There’s no pushing or jostling for attention. Just quiet conversations and shared smiles," she says.
Adajania adds, "And of course, there are secret angels around, adjusting hems and fixing trains, making sure every detail is perfect before the iconic walk up the stairs."
In an article by Time, Amy Odell, author of Anna: The Biography explained that this shift in exclusivity has created some tension within the society world. “It’s not a society event anymore,” she explains. “Which is not to say that socialites, in the traditional sense, don't go, but it's not like they can just buy a ticket and show up. I get the sense that within the social world today, there's still some annoyance about that.” She also points out that not every guest is allowed a plus-one, and they’re often seated away from their spouses.
Celebrities typically don’t purchase their own tickets to the Met Gala; instead, they attend as guests of brands or designers who have secured tables. As a guest of a designer, a celebrity is dressed by the brand and often walks the red carpet alongside the designer themselves.
The Met Gala is a carefully orchestrated experience, where every detail — from the red-carpet presentation to the exhibition preview (which is Reddy’s favourite part) — is designed to evoke a sense of wonder, Reddy notes. “The exclusivity of the guest list further contributes to the unique atmosphere, fostering a sense of camaraderie and mutual appreciation among attendees. The freedom of creative expression is also a defining characteristic of the Met Gala, encouraging guests to embrace bold, innovative and often provocative fashion choices.”
Well, recalling Katy Perry showing up as a Moschino chandelier, Jared Leto’s cat costume, or Kim Kardashian slipping into Marilyn Monroe’s gown, they're nothing, if not provocative.
Fashion’s Biggest Night
Speaking of the looks themselves, Alia Bhatt has been the talk of the town for the past two years. On her debut year, she wore a pearl-encrusted Prabal Gurung gown — a homage to a bridal look Karl Lagerfeld had once designed. The following year, she made another statement in an embroidered Sabyasachi saree.
“Working with Alia is always a joy,” Adajania shares, having styled her on both years. “She’s open, intuitive and such a beautiful soul.” The saree, inspired by last year’s theme ‘The Garden of Time’, featured a 23-foot-long train. “It almost seemed to take over the red carpet!” she added.
Her favourite part was how they played with the jewellery — choosing to place it in her hair, rather than round her neck. Hairstylist Amit Thakur’s soft curls and make-up artist Puneet Saini’s rosy glow added to the romantic look.
Another iconic look styled by Adajania, though not seen on the red carpet, was businesswoman Isha Ambani’s Rahul Mishra ensemble from last year. The designer, who deems Ambani to be “India’s strongest force in the business of fashion”, explained that they perceived the theme in the context of nature’s glorious bounty and its lifecycle.
“The garment highlights the journey of a garden laid with a variety of flowers in their individual cycles of sprouting, blooming and finally, decay. The narrative finds beauty and meaning in new life that originates from remnants of death, like an endless cycle of creation and destruction,” he explained.
But perhaps the coolest part of the look was that they cultivated it in the way a gardener would a garden. He explained, “Motifs and embroidery swatches from our entire journey since 2013 were brought out to be reinterpreted and collated to form the surfaces on this gown. Just in the way some trees would take decades to flower and bear fruit while others may bloom within weeks, I feel that this look becomes a culmination of our entire body of work.”
Reddy, on the other hand, wore Falguni and Shane Peacock in 2021, and Tarun Tahiliani, when she attended the gala in 2024. While the former are celebrated for their bold, cutting-edge couture, the latter is known for his ability to blend traditional techniques with contemporary sensibilities.
“Our discussions began several months prior to the event, allowing ample time to conceptualise and execute our vision,” she recalled. “The central focus was how to interpret each year's Met Gala theme through the prism of Indian heritage and craftsmanship, exploring innovative techniques and experimenting with unconventional materials.”
Though one might wonder, what's it like to eat dinner in such elaborate ensembles? Adajania shares, "Yes, the dinner is an important part of the evening — and comfort does matter. But on a night like the Met Gala, it can take a backseat."
That said, she admits to having some tricks up their sleeve — detachable trains, hidden zippers, clever tailoring — so once the red carpet moment is over, transformations happen. "Corsets come off, trails are tucked away, and everyone can relax, enjoy the dinner, dance and indulge!" she says.
The Met Gala may begin with a red carpet, but its true impact stretches far beyond the flash of cameras. It’s a space where fashion becomes storytelling, and heritage meets innovation. Though, Adajania admits to one of the biggest surprises being not knowing the colour of the carpet until the day itself.
"Everyone’s holding their breath, wondering—oh my god, is it going to clash with the look or complement it?" she recalls.
As guests reinterpret the annual theme, the evening turns into a dialogue between past and present. Whether it’s a designer stitching a decade of work into a single garment, or a first-time attendee discovering the intimacy beneath the spectacle, the Met Gala endures beyond the glamour, because every year, it invites the world to reimagine what fashion can mean.