Seating plans and free tickets: Niche logistic details of how the 2025 Met Gala is run

The Met Gala is once again dominating all our social media feeds. I have so many thoughts on all the outfits. But organising an event of that scale sounds like a logistical nightmare. People start work on the seating plan at least five months in advance. Here’s a look at some of the niche logistic details of how the Met Gala is run.

Most celebs get to go for free

Tickets to the Met Gala reportedly cost a whopping $75,000. Tables start at $350,000. Fashion houses will often pay for celebrities and young designers to go if they wear that company’s clothes. So many of the celebs won’t have paid to be at the Met Gala, and might not have had much say over their outfits.

Yes, the celebrities actually look round a museum exhibition

Not me forgetting the whole point of the Met Gala is to raise money for the Met, and not just to start celebrity drama. The Costume Institute’s big new exhibition this year is Superfine: Tailoring Black Style. This is why the tie-in theme was “Tailored for You”.

For the first hour of so of the Met Gala, the guests get to wander around the museum drinking cocktails and looking at the exhibit.

Events planners start working on the seating chart five months in advance

And you thought it was complicated to do a seating plan for your family barbecue. The events planner in charge of this, Eaddy Kiernan, told Vogue: “We start with a seating document when the names come together in December. The actual seating chart doesn’t come together until about a month before the event, when we get a sense for the layout of the room, and the flow of the evening.”

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Her team spend most of April sorting out the seating plan. They aim for everyone to have a decent view of the stage, and for nobody to have an ex in their peripheral vision. I have a headache just thinking about how hard this would be. The team work out the seating plan using a giant foam board and little velcro labels.

Certain foods are banned from the menu

I’m sure it’s delicious but I would need a packet of crisps afterwards
(Image via Instagram)

Kwame Onwuachi, the chef behind the very fancy New York restaurant Tatiana, was in charge of the menu this year. Devising the menu must be super tricky – the food has to tie in with the exhibit. Plus, Anna Wintour reportedly doesn’t allow any garlic and onions (because of breath), parsley (in case it gets stuck in people’s teeth) or bruschetta (which is prone to crumbling onto gowns).

Ta-da!
(Image via Instagram)

Kwame Onwuachi’s meal plan consisted of papaya piri piri salad and  creole roasted chicken. For dessert, the celebs got to eat something called “Bodega Special Cosmic Brownie Powdered Sugar Donut Mousse” which sounds truly life-enhancing.

Megan Thee Stallion posted her extensive reviews of all the canapés on Instagram.

Featured image of the red carpet via YouTube / Vogue. Featured image of Megan Thee Stallion via her Instagram.