Met Gala 2025: Glamour in the Spotlight, Gaza in the Shadows

As A-listers from around the globe lit up the red carpet at Monday’s Met Gala (May 5), turmoil unfolded nearby as pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with police and tried to breach the event in New York City. While the glamorous gala commenced at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the streets outside swelled with hundreds of demonstrators carrying picket signs and chanting anti-Israel slogans in an effort to disrupt fashion’s biggest night.

Here at OyeYeah, we feel uneasy reporting on the lavish celebrations of the Met Gala 2025 while the world remains deaf and dumb to the horrific suffering of millions in Gaza. As thousands of women and children lose their lives in the ongoing conflict, the stark contrast between the glamour of the event and the humanitarian tragedy unfolding is impossible to ignore.

The Met Gala 2025, held on May 5 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, focused on the theme “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” celebrating Black Dandyism-a fashion movement expressing Black identity, pride, and resistance through elegant menswear. Several Indian stars were also in attendance, and the event was widely covered as a major cultural and fashion spectacle.

However, the gala faced significant criticism and backlash on social media and beyond due to its timing amid the escalating violence in Gaza, particularly the Israeli military’s intensified assault on Rafah, the last designated “safe zone” in Palestine. On the same day as the Met Gala, Israel ordered Palestinians to evacuate eastern Rafah, signalling a ground invasion, which caused global alarm and condemnation from the UN.

Many netizens and activists condemned the Met Gala as a distraction from the humanitarian crisis, dubbing it the “Met Gala Massacre.” They highlighted the stark contrast between the lavish celebration of fashion and the suffering of thousands of Palestinians, including women and children killed in the conflict.

Comparisons were drawn to “The Hunger Games,” portraying the gala attendees as the privileged elite indifferent to the plight of those in Gaza. Some pointed out the disproportionate media coverage, noting that the struggles of Palestinians received far less attention than celebrity fashion moments at the event.

Pro-Palestine protests took place near the Met Gala venue in New York, leading to several arrests, reflecting the heightened tensions and public discontent regarding the juxtaposition of glamour and ongoing violence.

The ticket price for the 2025 Met Gala remains at $75,000 per individual, the same as the previous year despite inflation pressures in the U.S. Tables accommodating 10 guests start at $350,000. Attendance is strictly by invitation only, with tickets not available for public purchase.

Typically, fashion houses or luxury brands purchase tables and invite celebrities as their guests, with final approval of the guest list made by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.

While the event is renowned for its exclusive red carpet and glamorous fashion, the ticket cost also supports the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, with the 2025 gala raising a record $31 million to fund its exhibitions and acquisitions.

In summary, while the Met Gala 2025 celebrated Black cultural fashion heritage with significant global attention, it was overshadowed and heavily criticized due to the concurrent humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with many viewing the event as insensitive amid widespread suffering.