The Met Gala Charity Ball: What It Raises Money For & How Much It’s Raised

While the Met Gala is known for its iconic fashion, it is actually a charity ball that raises money & we have everything you need to know about the charity it raises money for & how the money is raised.

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April 26, 2022 10:08AM EDT
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Beyonce Knowles Costume Institute Gala Benefit celebrating China: Through the Looking Glass, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, America - 04 May 2015
Anne Hathaway The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Benefit, celebrating the opening of the Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty exhibition, Arrivals, Fashion Highlights, New York, USA - 01 May 2023 Wearing Atelier Versace
Rachel Brosnahan The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Benefit, celebrating the opening of the Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty exhibition, Arrivals, Fashion Highlights, New York, USA - 01 May 2023
Image Credit: JUSTIN LANE/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

When we think of the Met Gala, many of us immediately think about the fashion worn by celebrities on the iconic red carpet on the Met steps. While seeing the fashion is always a plus, the Met Gala is actually a charity ball held once a year that is intended to raise money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City. Many people don’t realize that the gala is intended to raise money, because it has quickly become fashion’s biggest night of the year.

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Hailey Baldwin at the 2019 Met Gala. (JUSTIN LANE/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

The Met Gala Charity Ball officially started in 1948 and the idea for the gala began when designers, Irene Lewisohn and Aline Bernstein, created a collection of over 8,000 costumes in the 1920s to inspire other designers. The collection was showcased at the Metropolitan Museum in 1946, before publicist, Eleanor Lambert, who also created New York Fashion Week, started the gala in 1948 to raise money for the museum exhibit.

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Sophie Turner & Joe Jonas at the 2017 Met Gala. (Kevin Tachman/Vogue/Shutterstock)

Since its genesis, the Met Gala has been held on the first Monday in May every year and you can read on to find out how much tickets cost and how much money the costume institute gala has raised.

How Much Has the Met Gala Raised?

A ticket to the gala can cost around $35,000, while a table can cost around a whopping $200,000 to $300,000. The guest list which includes, celebrities, singers, models, photographers, artists, designers, and more, is one of the most coveted lists to be on and not everyone is invited. If you are lucky enough to be picked by a designer to wear their clothes, then your invite is completely free of charge. Therefore, the designer who dressed the celebrity will pay for the table.

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From left to right, Corey Gamble, Kris Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Kendall Jenner, Kylie Jenner & Travis Scott at the 2019 Met Gala. (JUSTIN LANE/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

Since 1995, Vogue Editor-in-Chief, Anna Wintour, has been the organizer of the event while Andrew Bolton is the Head Curator of the Met’s Costume Institute. In 2021, the Met Gala raised $16.75 million, which broke the record for the most money raised from the gala, according to The Washington Post. In 2019, the ball raised $15 million.

Over the past 27 years of Anna Wintour at the helm, she has raised approximately $200 million for the Costume Institue, according to Fox Business.