Met Gala Has Broken a Record Before It's Even Showtime

The lights haven't even turned on for Monday night's Met Gala, and the annual exercise in bacchanalia has already broken through a new boundary in the form of the whopping $31 million raised. That's right, the Met is more than just an opportunity for you to get catty on social media about a Kardashian's outfit: "It is," notes NPR, "at the end of the day, a fundraising event." A look at how the Metropolitan Museum of Art got to that $31 million, which marks the first time the gala has crossed the $30 million line in its 77 years of existence:

• Tickets, please: Not only is it nearly impossible to score an invitation (don't even try, B-listers!), the privilege of doing so will cost you dearly. Tables for 10 start at a paltry $350,000, while those going stag can expect to cough up $75,000 for a ticket, notes the New York Times.

• Corporations are ponying up, too: The likes of TikTok or Instagram often make large donations and/or buy tickets and find some A-lister to take a free meal in exchange for the company riding some expensive coattails and getting its table glammed up.
• For the cause, right? "Would all those people be showing up and giving money to the Metropolitan Museum if they weren't sitting next to Rihanna and ASAP Rocky?" asks the director of a nonprofit consultant group. "Probably not." But, "Are galas the most efficient return on your investment? No. Having someone just write a check is. But as long as you're not actually losing money, then you have to think about the trade-offs."
• It's not a cheap party to throw: Ever throw yourself a $6 million party? Well, that was the price tag on last year's Met Gala, $1.3 million of which was spent on entertainment. That shindig pulled in $26 million.
• Monday night's breathless question: Are Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce attending? The answer was not clear on Monday morning, per Men's Journal.
• Where to watch: Vogue is livestreaming.

(More Met Gala stories.)