How to watch the Met Gala and what time does it start in the UK?

Here's how to watch the Met Gala and when the coverage will start for UK viewers as fashion's biggest event of the year draws closer

Composite of Salma Hayek, Naomi Campbell and Nicole Kidman at the Met Gala 2023
(Image credit: Image 1: Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic via Getty // Image 2: Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images //Image 3: Photo by John Shearer/WireImage via Getty)

If you’re wondering how to watch the Met Gala you’re probably not alone as anticipation builds over what spectacular looks we could see at the fashion event of the year. 

It doesn’t come much more star-studded and magnificent than the Met Gala, organised by Vogue and its Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour. Held as a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, every year the looks get bolder and more dazzling in line with each thought-provoking theme. The best Met Gala themes have secured a place in the minds of fashion lovers forever for the way the attendees interpreted them. This year the dress code is The Garden of Time, inspired by the museum’s Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion exhibition. 

The possibilities for the perfect look  are endless and with the guest list a closely-guarded secret we can only imagine what lies in store on 6th May. With the event taking place in New York, we reveal how to watch the Met Gala where you are and the UK time you’ll need to be ready for if you want to watch it from the start.

Penélope Cruz arrives at the 2023 Met Gala

(Image credit: Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images via Getty)

How to watch the Met Gala from anywhere 

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Stream: Vogue from 6pm EST/11pm BST

The great news about the Met Gala is that it looks as though regardless of where you live in the world you can watch it unfold live, for free. Just like it did for the past four years, Vogue will be hosting an exclusive livestream of the 2024 Met Gala red carpet on its website and for UK viewers this appears to be the same on the British Vogue website. Already if you head to either of these you’ll see a banner image featuring the live countdown to this year’s Met Gala and the local start time. 

You might want to have this bookmarked ready for 6th May if you don’t want to miss any of the fabulous outfits that celebrities choose to fit this year’s The Garden of Time theme.


Fashion's Big Night Out: A Met Gala Lookbook by Kristen Bateman | Was £16.99, Now £12.99 at Amazon

Fashion's Big Night Out: A Met Gala Lookbook by Kristen Bateman | Was £16.99, Now £12.99 at Amazon

The Met Gala brings together art, fashion and pop culture and it's hardly surprising it's a legendary event. This book features stunning images and charts the history of the Met Gala as well as celebrating the amazing looks, exhibitions and celebrity moments. It features a foreword by designer Jeremy Scott who created Katy Perry's chandelier outfit.

If you’d prefer you can also watch the Met Gala 2024 live via Vogue’s digital platforms as well as on its YouTube channel and on TikTok. Vogue’s Met Gala 2024 live stream will be hosted by actor Gwendoline Christie, actor and producer La La Anthony, model Ashley Graham and content creator and businesswoman Emma Chamberlain. Emma will be Vogue’s special correspondent on the red carpet and will interview some of the Met Gala 2024 stars on the red carpet.

Alternatively, if you are based in the US then you can also watch the Met Gala on Live from E! on the E! network if you’d like to see the red carpet arrivals on TV and have cable. On Tuesday 7th May at 11pm EST E! will be giving a full recap of the looks and behind-the-scenes moments you might have missed.

Jessica Chastain attends the 2023 Costume Institute Benefit

(Image credit: Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images)

If you're a US citizen and want to watch the Met Gala via E! but will be abroad on the day then you can still enjoy it as you usually would at home with the use of a VPN. This is a piece of software that allows you to change your IP address so it appears as though you’re accessing streaming services from any country in the world. For example, US citizens abroad can subscribe to a VPN, join a server based in the US and access libraries of shows they’d usually be able to enjoy.  

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Watch the Met Gala from anywhere with a VPN
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When does the Met Gala start in UK time?

The Met Gala red carpet live stream by Vogue is set to officially begin at 6pm EST/3pm PST on Monday 6th May which means that in the UK start time will be 11pm. Met Gala arrivals usually go on for several hours, ending around 8pm EST/1am BTS. So UK-based fashion fans who’ve discovered how to watch the Met Gala might be in for a late night if they want to watch this star-studded event in its entirety. 

Anna Wintour and actor Bill Nighy arrive for the 2023 Met Gala

(Image credit: Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

What happens at the Met Gala? 

Sadly what goes on at the Met Gala once the red carpet is over is known only to those who are on the guest-list. The live coverage only follows the celebrities arriving for the event in their always-impressive costumes. Once the attendees are inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art the actual fundraising gala goes un-filmed. When it comes to what happens at the Met Gala, Vogue themselves have described it as being a secret.

The Met Gala has a strict “no phones policy” which naturally also means that there should be no social media posting at the event either. Guests explore the exhibition and talk with one another before having dinner.

Emma Shacklock

Emma is a Royal Editor with eight years experience working in publishing. Her specialist areas include the British Royal Family, ranging from protocol to outfits. Alongside putting her royal knowledge to good use, Emma knows all there is to know about the latest TV shows on the BBC, ITV and more. When she’s not writing about the next unmissable show to add to your to-watch list or delving into royal protocol, Emma enjoys cooking, long walks and watching yet more crime dramas!