Met Gala 2025 sets new fundraising record with $31 million haul: Report

The annual Met Gala raised a record-breaking $31 million this year, making it the most lucrative edition in the 77-year history of the high-profile benefit, The New York Times reported on Monday. Held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the May fashion spectacle continues to solidify its status as the most coveted cultural fundraiser in New York City.

Lead over other Galas

The staggering amount far surpasses the proceeds from other high-profile arts benefits in the city. According to NYT, the New York Philharmonic’s September gala raised nearly $4 million, while the Whitney Museum of American Art brought in around $5.2 million at its 2024 event.

The news outlet noted that the event nets approximately $4 for every $1 spent — a return on investment in line with other major galas, including those held by the American Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Opera.

Exclusive guest list and prices

As the news report detailed, the guest list of Met Gala is tightly controlled, with a few hundred handpicked celebrities, athletes, and fashion-world icons attending. Individual tickets, available by invitation only, cost $75,000 — a price that has tripled in the past decade — while tables for 10 start at a staggering $350,000.

Some corporate sponsors, including social media giants like TikTok and Meta, contribute large donations. The report also noted that companies purchasing tables often pass their seats on to A-list stars, hoping to benefit from the exposure their celebrity guests generate.

Rising revenue despite soaring costs

Although the Met Gala was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, its fundraising momentum has sharply increased in recent years. In 2019, it grossed about $15 million, The New York Times reported, less than half of this year’s record-breaking figure.

Even as costs have risen — the 2024 event incurred $6.4 million in expenses — the gala’s financial performance continues to outpace expectations.

All eyes on black fashion

For the first time ever, the Met’s Costume Institute has devoted its spring exhibition entirely to designers of color, marking a bold departure from its traditionally Eurocentric narrative. “Superfine” traces 300 years of Black fashion, celebrating the creativity, resilience, and flamboyant elegance of Black dandyism, particularly in menswear — a genre often underrepresented in major fashion retrospectives.

The exhibit’s cultural and historical resonance drew a strong lineup of celebrities to the gala. Actors and artists including Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, and Pharrell Williams served as event hosts, while LeBron James — whose NBA season ended last week — held the title of honorary chair.

While the Met Gala dazzles with red carpet glamour, its purpose is deeply practical. The proceeds are crucial to the Costume Institute’s annual operating budget, making it the only department at the museum that funds itself.