Over the years, the Met Gala has delivered some truly iconic celebrity moments—from Lady Gaga’s dramatic on-theme striptease to Rihanna’s show-stopping tabletop performance. And who could forget Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston’s flirty dance, sparking the short-lived but unforgettable “Hiddleswift” era? (Feels like a lifetime ago in the Travis Kelce era, doesn’t it?)
Relive the most jaw-dropping Met Gala moments below.
### Tyla’s Sandy Entrance (2024)
Photo: Getty Images
Though best known for her hit “Water,” Tyla made waves at her first Met Gala in a Balmain gown inspired by the “Garden of Time” theme—literally embodying the sands of time (complete with an hourglass purse). The dress was so tight she needed help climbing the stairs. Later, designer Olivier Rousteing transformed it into a mini with a pair of scissors.
### Doja Cat’s Wardrobe Evolution (2024)
Photo: Getty Images
Never one to play it safe, Doja Cat arrived at her hotel in just a white towel, then switched to a wet T-shirt dress before finally stripping down to a nude bodysuit. Vetements, we salute you.
### Michael Shannon’s Chip Bag Purse (2024)
Photo: Getty Images
The “Sleeping Beauties” theme inspired some wild accessories, but Shannon stole the show with a Balenciaga bag shaped like a bag of chips. No, this wasn’t a comedy bit—just high fashion at its quirkiest.
### Doja Cat Goes Full Cat (2023)
Photo: Getty Images
Doja took costume drama to new heights by dressing as Karl Lagerfeld’s famous cat, Choupette, in a beaded Oscar de la Renta gown complete with a hood and ears. Purr-fection.
### A Cockroach Crashes the Party (2023)
Photo: Getty Images
Even the Met Gala isn’t safe from New York’s most persistent party crasher—a lone cockroach that photobombed the red carpet and somehow became the night’s most talked-about guest.
### Kim Kardashian Wears Marilyn’s Dress (2022)
Photo: Getty Images
For the “In America” theme, Kim borrowed Marilyn Monroe’s iconic “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” dress from Ripley’s Believe It or Not—sparking both awe and outrage. The $4.8 million gown required meticulous handling, with Kim admitting she had to “practice walking up the stairs” to avoid damage.
### Timothée Chalamet’s Fan Parade (2021)
Photo: Getty Images
Co-chairing the gala, Chalamet turned his arrival into performance art, walking from the Frick Madison to the Met with a crowd of screaming fans trailing behind. The whole thing was live-streamed, blending fashion and spectacle perfectly.
### Lady Gaga’s Four-Look Striptease (2019)
Photo: Getty Images
No description does this justice—Gaga arrived in a voluminous pink Brandon Maxwell gown and proceeded to peel off layers on the red carpet, ending in lingerie. A masterclass in Met Gala theatrics.Here’s the rewritten text in clear, natural English:
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Lady Gaga stole the show at the 2019 Met Gala for the “Camp: Notes on Fashion” theme. The singer and actress arrived in a dramatic fuchsia Brandon Maxwell cape gown with a 25-foot train, then peeled off layer after layer until she was down to lingerie, fishnets, and towering heels, writhing on the Met steps. No one does it like Gaga!
Jared Leto accessorizes with his own head, 2019
Why settle for jewelry when you can carry your own head as the ultimate accessory? Jared Leto did just that in 2019, courtesy of Gucci (the severed head prop first appeared on their fall 2018 runway). It was equal parts horrifying and mesmerizing.
2 Chainz “proposes” to Kesha Ward, 2018
In an unexpected moment at the “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” gala, rapper 2 Chainz proposed to his partner, Kesha Ward, on the red carpet. She said yes, and photographers erupted in cheers—but it wasn’t the first time. He’d actually proposed five years earlier at the BET Awards. (The man loves a grand gesture!) The couple finally tied the knot that August.
Katy Perry’s outfit needs an open-top ride, 2018
For the “Heavenly Bodies” theme, Katy Perry arrived in a custom Versace gown with angel wings—one of the most meme-worthy looks of the night. The best part? She needed an open-top vehicle to transport the dramatic ensemble. Before hitting the red carpet, she was spotted cruising through Manhattan, wings on full display for stunned pedestrians.
Jaden Smith carries his own dreadlocks, 2017
Weeks before the Met Gala celebrating “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between,” Jaden Smith chopped off his bleached dreadlocks for a movie role. But they got a second life on the red carpet—he carried them in his hand. “I couldn’t bring my sister as a date,” he joked at the time, “so I brought my hair.” Maybe a nod to Willow Smith’s “Whip My Hair”?
Lady Gaga surprises Donatella Versace with a cake, 2016
Donatella Versace celebrated her 61st birthday at the 2016 Met Gala, and Lady Gaga made sure it was unforgettable by surprising her with a three-tiered, gold-dipped cake featuring the Versace logo.
Hiddleswift is born during a dance-off, 2016
Fans got their first glimpse of Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston’s summer fling at the 2016 Met Gala, where the two were caught on camera playfully dancing at the Temple of Dendur.
Beyoncé goes solo after Lemonade, 2016
After the release of her groundbreaking album Lemonade, speculation swirled about Beyoncé’s marriage to Jay Z. A week later, she surprised everyone by arriving solo at the Met in a nude latex Givenchy gown—cue endless jokes about “Becky with the good hair.”
Rihanna dances on a table, 2015
Rihanna’s golden Guo Pei gown with fur trim sparked a meme frenzy at the 2015 Met Gala, but her real highlight was performing “Bitch Better Have My Money” atop a dinner table.
Liv Tyler and Stella McCartney keep it casual, 1999
How do you know you’re true rock royalty? When you show up to the Met Gala in DIY T-shirts.
Princess Diana attends, 1996
If Princess Di made it to the Met Gala in 1996, does that mean we might still see the Princess of Wales there someday?
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The legendary Supers first appeared in 1995.
Photo: Getty Images
It’s incredible to think this photo of Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, and Kate Moss was taken more than 20 years ago. Even better? They’re still regulars at the Met Gala today.
Jackie O. at the party in 1979.
Photo: Getty Images
Long before her iconic style inspired the Met’s 2001 exhibit Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years—Selections from the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, the original First Lady of Fashion attended the Met Gala as a guest in 1979.