When someone mentions the Met Gala, a few things spring to mind: the world’s biggest celebrities. Bold, brash outfits. Blake Lively.
What do all these things have in common? A proximity to Taylor Swift, of course. Swift has attended the Met Gala six times in total, with the Antihero singer becoming a regular fixture at the event from 2008 to 2016, only skipping out on the first Monday in May a handful of times.
She became an official co-host of the event in 2016, as part of the Costume Institute’s Manus x Machina exhibition, focusing on fashion in the age of technology. Swift made headlines with her red carpet appearance, most memorably for her bleach blonde hair, a marked departure from her girl-next-door honey blonde curls.
But since 2016, Swift has not been seen at the Met Gala once. This means she’s skipped the event for a total of eight years (the 2020 Met Gala was cancelled due to Covid), even when the themes seem pretty well suited to the Bad Blood hitmaker.
The 2021 and 2022 themes in particular, In America: A Lexicon of Fashion and In America: An Anthology of Fashion, would have been prime fodder for Miss Americana, and yet she was nowhere to be seen.
To be fair, Taylor Swift has been pretty busy, taking her billion-dollar Eras tour across the world and processing not one but two breakups (Joe Alwyn, Matty Healy).
According to inside sources, Swift missed the Met Gala 2025 due to wanting downtime with her boyfriend, Travis Kelce. “They have been travelling nonstop and very much enjoy it,” a source told PEOPLE in April. “They are making the most of their time off together. They are hanging out with friends, too. It's a special time for them.”
This insider also claimed that the stars are “very serious and in sync,” saying: “They value the same things. Right now, the focus is very much on private time out of the spotlight.”
In lieu of a fresh Taylor Swift Met Gala outfit, here are all her looks from years gone by.
Taylor Swift attends the Met Gala 2008
The year is 2008 and the Met Gala’s theme is Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy. This is still back when the Met Gala was more about gowns and gorgeous dresses than proper costume dressing, save for a few famous few pushing the boat out. Taylor Swift wore a metallic, embroidered gold gown by Badgley Mischka, with her trademark 2000s curls and a small gold clutch.
Taylor Swift attends the Met Gala 2010
Taylor Swift rocked up at the 2010 Met Gala wearing an ivory slip-style gown by Ralph Lauren, with cascading ruffles at the sleeves and hem. The theme was American Woman: Fashioning A National Identity. Swift’s look had hints of 1920s flapper style, which she exhibited regularly in the early 2010s.
Taylor Swift attends the Met Gala 2011
The exhibition and theme of the 2011 Met Gala was Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty in honour of the late, great designer, who died in 2010. Taylor Swift wore a nude J Mendel gown with burnt black lace detailing and a distressed, layered hem. Swift also embraced a more punky makeup look, with a dark red lip, messy updo and a smoky eye.
Taylor Swift attends the Met Gala 2013
Taylor Swift attended the Met Gala’s 2013 edition, where the theme was PUNK: From Chaos to Couture in an equally Good Girl Gone Bad (But Not Too Bad) look, also by J Mendel. The black gown featured gold embellishments and black mesh panelling, and Swift reunited with her beloved smoky eye.
Taylor Swift attends the 2014 Met Gala
The belle of the ball! Taylor Swift switched it up for the 2014 Met Gala, where the theme was very different. The exhibition that year was “Charles James: Beyond Fashion”, chronicling the life and work of America’s first couturier, who was known for his sculptural, scientific construction of garments. She wore a blush pink Oscar de la Renta gown with a hefty bow at the back and her trademark red lip.
Taylor Swift attends (and hosts) the 2016 Met Gala
Back to punk we go! Taylor Swift’s 2016 Met Gala look was her most daring yet, though she largely made headlines due to her bold hair colour change. The theme was “Manus x Machine: Fashion in an Age of Technology” which was supposed to highlight the dichotomy between Manus (the hand, which creates haute couture) and Machina (the machine, which creates prêt-à-porter/ready-to-wear clothes). Taylor Swift opted for a metallic Louis Vuitton cocktail dress with knee-high leather strap heels and an indigo lip.
