The night doesn’t end after the celebrities have shuffled up the steps.
After guests arrived to the deep blue and daffodil strewn entrance of the Met Gala 2025, they were whisked up to a cocktail reception and snacked on “elevated soul food” (“think hoecakes with crispy chicken, mini chopped cheeses, cornbread topped with caviar, and curry chicken patties,” Vogue reported) before getting a first look at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s newest costume exhibit. For 2025, that is Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, based on Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book, Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity.
As 8pm struck, glamorous guests took their seats for supper in the sprawling Temple of Dendur area of the museum, before dining on creole roasted chicken with lemon emulsion, rice and peas, and a fresh hot sauce by chef Kwame Onwuachi. Stevie Wonder and Usher later performed.
Then, New York becomes the stars’ playground. After being whisked back to their hotels, be that The Mark or The Carlyle, for a quick change, it’s onto the string of afterparties that light up the city.
The evening's most talked about couple, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky — who earlier in the evening broke the news they are pregnant with their third child — made a direct line to the “A$AP Rocky Met Gala After After Party” which took place in Jean’s, down near SoHo.
The bash, which celebrated Rocky’s new role as creative director of sunglasses brand Ray Ban, saw the likes of Sabrina Carpenter, Jenna Ortega and Natasha Lyonne all flock in.
But it was Rihanna’s afterparty outfit — an all black ensemble consisting of a lace-up leather skirt, bump-exposing tie up blouse, satin jacket and lace durag — that demanded attention.
At The Mark Hotel, designer Willy Chavarria also hosted a bash with Don Julio, looking every inch the host in a pink satin suit, turquoise tie, and trusty bottle of tequila in hand. Guests, fresh from the carpet and donning their second looks of the night, included Maluma, Alton Mason and Jeremy Allen White — while nightlife icon Amanda Lepore made sure to pile on the burlesque glamour.
See the best, worst and wackiest looks at the Met Gala 2025 here
The best pictures from the Met Gala 2025 after parties
