Met Gala 2023: What time does the Met Gala start in the UK and where can you watch it?

Katy Perry attending The 2019 Met Gala Celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The Met Gala is set for a spectacular return in 2023 – here is everything you need to know about the event including when it starts in the UK.

An event renowned for its glitz and glamour, the Met Gala is often referred to as the “Oscars of fashion”.

Organised by fashion magazine Vogue and its influential editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, celebrities from around the world will descend upon New York.

The ball raises funds for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art through the sale of tickets, which cost around $35,000 each, with tables ranging from $200,000 to $300,000.

The 2023 Met Gala theme honours iconic designer, Karl Lagerfeld.

With the Met Gala traditionally held on the first Monday in May, here’s what you can expect from the fashion extravaganza.

When is the Met Gala?

The 2023 Met Gala will take place on Monday May 1 in New York.

What time does the Met Gala start UK?

The event will kick off from 6.30pm EST which is 11.30pm in the UK. You can watch the red carpet live on Vogue’s website, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

Their livestream will be hosted by American actress and TV personality La La Anthony, journalist and socialite Derek Blasberg, comedian and actress Chloe Fineman, with YouTube personality and podcaster Emma Chamberlain acting as special correspondent for the second year in a row.

What is the Met Gala 2023 theme?

This year’s Met Gala theme is Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty – or as Vogue have framed it “in honour of Karl”, who died in 2019.

Known for revitalising Chanel, the late designer also worked at fashion houses from Balmain to Fendi, before founding his own eponymous Lagerfeld brand. You should expect to see vintage looks which call back to Lagerfeld’s best work.

His influence on the fashion industry is well known, however it’s not without controversy.

Why is the Met Gala’s Karl Lagerfeld theme controversial?

While Lagerfeld was undoubtedly an important and influential figure, he was also known for his “lack of filter”.

He left behind a legacy which included a range of fatphobic, misogynistic and often racist remarks.

He has been criticised for comments which include “no one wants to see curvy women”, stating that Coco Chanel “wasn’t ugly enough to be a feminist” and also claiming his native country of Germany taking in Muslim refugees was “an affront to Holocaust victims”.

Lagerfeld also disavowed the #MeToo movement.

Who will host the Met Gala?

This year’s hosts and event co-chairs are Penélope Cruz, Michaela Coel, Roger Federer, Dua Lipa, and Anna Wintour who has run the event since 1995.

In 2022, the Met Gala was hosted by Regina King, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively. Blake Lively has since confirmed she will not attend the 2023 gala.

Who will attend the 2023 Met Gala?

While the guest list to the Met Gala isn’t made available, you will be able to watch who will appear via the livestream.

However, there are a number of famous faces who are likely to attend, such as the Kardishian/Jenner clan, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Nick Jonas and his wife, Citadel star Priyanka Chopra Jonas.

Designers will also often have a presence at the event, so we could perhaps see an outfit by Scottish designer Christopher Kane, who last year dressed Tommy Dorfman who is known for her role in Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why.