Who will go to this year's Met Gala?

When March draws to a close, the frenzied rhythms of Fashion Week pause for a while, making way for events in the following months that also manage to attract an equal amount of interest in their own way – think of the Milan Design Week, Coachella, and of course, the Met Gala. These are three very different events. Anyone can access the installations at Design Week, after registering through the classic RSVP links; accessing Coachella isn't difficult if you have a good budget. The same can't be said for the Met Gala, one of the world's most elite social events which over the years has transformed into a significant monetizable space: just think of the red carpet, for which Vogue has been selling advertising spaces at substantial figures since 2015. Enjoying such status, the Met Gala consistently turns into a unique spectacle for viewers, who are mesmerized not only by the wonderful outfits worn by the attending celebrities but also by the surprise effect in the days leading up to the themed evening - this year it will be Garden of Time - during which one wonders who will participate, what memes might arise, and much more. Therefore, as usual, we already know for certain who will attend the edition scheduled for May 6, 2024, but it's equally fun to speculate who might show up at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Hemsworth, and Bad Bunny will be the co-hosts this year, marking the absolute debut for Thor's interpreter at the Met Gala. Additionally, it's known that the rules of the Met Gala allow co-hosts to be accompanied by an additional guest. This could mean a very probable presence of Tom Holland, or why not, Ben Affleck, who considering last year's edition might not be very happy to attend. Apart from the numerous movie and music stars already among the guests, it's known that the honorary co-chairs of the Met Gala will be Jonathan Anderson and Shou Zi Chew. While the former has earned this role due to the significant impact his work as creative director at Loewe has had on the fashion world in recent months, the presence of the latter (CEO of TikTok) seems to be connected to TikTok's significant public relations effort. In fact, the Chinese social network will assume the role of main sponsor of the Met Gala after being at the center of a complicated issue in the United States; in March, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a law that would ban TikTok if Bytedance, the company that controls the social network, doesn't completely separate from the application.

Among the most faithful celebrities at the event is Kim Kardashian, who hasn't missed a Met Gala since 2012, so it's likely she will participate with at least one of her sisters: last year, only Kylie and Kendall were there, while in 2022 Kris was invited along with all her daughters. The return of Blake Lively is also highly probable, a regular presence at the Met Gala who skipped last year's edition for reasons never clarified. Rihanna and A$AP Rocky are among the most anticipated thanks to their unparalleled stage impact (they will almost certainly participate), but there's also much talk about the presence of the newly minted billionaire Taylor Swift. The last Met Gala she attended was eight years and three boyfriends ago, but this would be the perfect year for a grand comeback, considering her incredibly successful world tour, the imminent album release, and the relationship with Travis Kelce, which has become the favorite gossip magazine soap opera. Additionally, the European leg of the Era tour will begin on May 9, allowing Swift to attend the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Staying in the music realm, Jared Leto - one of the event's most recognizable faces - will not attend the Met Gala due to tour commitments with 30 Seconds to Mars. In short, amidst absences, surprises, speculations, and the inevitable unpredictability factor, all that's left is to await the month that separates us from the arrival of the Met Gala.