Anna Wintour Announced The Met Gala Is Officially Postponed

This year will break the tradition of the gala occurring on the first Monday of May.

The coronavirus pandemic is forcing many upcoming events to be rescheduled, and the Met Gala is among those affected.

Gilbert Carrasquillo / GC Images

On March 16, Anna Wintour announced via Vogue that the gala, which was supposed to occur May 4, has been postponed indefinitely.

Kevin Tachman / Getty Images

"Due to the unavoidable and responsible decision by the Metropolitan Museum to close its doors, About Time and the opening night gala will not take place on the date scheduled."

This news comes a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) strongly recommended that no gatherings of 50 people or more should take place in the next eight weeks to avoid spreading the coronavirus.

Vogue also reported that a Met spokesperson said that "in deference to this guidance [from the CDC], all programs and events through May 15 will be canceled or postponed."

Gilbert Carrasquillo / GC Images

This is one of the few instances in which the long-standing tradition of the Met Gala occurring on the first Monday of May will not happen.

According to CNN, the gala was skipped in 1963 and 2002.

Last week, the Met Gala organizers had a more optimistic outlook on fashion's biggest night, with Nancy Chilton, the chief external relations officer of the Costume Institute, saying, "We are proceeding as planned and look forward to a wonderful evening."

Gilbert Carrasquillo / GC Images

Sadly, we won't be able to see how celebs would've interpreted the About Time exhibition theme for quite some time.

Kevin Tachman / Getty Images

I would've loved to see how Lady Gaga and the Kardashians/Jenners dressed up, but hey, health is far more important than fashion!