The first Monday in May is regarded in the fashion world as one of the most important dates of the year, but this year, it will be just another Monday. The 2020 Met Gala, which was scheduled to take place May 4, has been postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced Monday.
In complying with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, the Met decided “all programs and events through May 15 will be canceled or postponed,” according to a Met spokesperson. The decision comes after the museum announced last Thursday it would shutter its doors temporarily after two employees showed coronavirus symptoms.
The CDC recommended Sunday that gatherings of 50 or more people should be canceled or postponed for the next eight weeks. At a Monday press conference, President Trump made that recommendation more stringent, saying groups of 10 or more people should not meet.
The Met Gala red carpet is usually studded with Hollywood elite. Celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Taylor Swift, Serena Williams, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and many more stars show up in their most unique fashions.
This year’s theme was set to be “About Time: Fashion and Duration.”
“It’s a reimagining of fashion history that’s fragmented, discontinuous, and heterogeneous,” said Andrew Bolton, curator of the Costume Institute, according to Vogue, which announced the theme in February.
A new date for the 2020 gala has not yet been announced.
“In the meantime, we will give you a preview of this extraordinary exhibition in our forthcoming May issue,” said Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue, which organizes the annual gala.
Several other highly-anticipated events in the entertainment world have also been canceled. Several fashion week shows went on without spectators in the audience, the NCAA canceled its March Madness tournament, other sports leagues have suspended their seasons and movie premieres have been pushed back.
Some of the biggest cities in the U.S. have also closed schools, theaters, bars and restaurants, with the exception of take-out and delivery service. Mr. Trump on Monday said the outbreak could last into the summer, perhaps as long as August.
