Met Gala seating chart 2021: Viral fake table plan causes outrage

24 August 2021, 12:26

The trailer for The First Monday In May gives behind-the-scenes look at Met Gala

By Katie Louise Smith

James Charles? Addison Rae? Charli D'Amelio? At the Met Gala? Viral seating chart causes outrage.

It's almost time for the Met Gala, the biggest fashion event of the year, and the internet is currently speculating over the seating plan for the 2021 ball.

Due to the pandemic, the 2021 Met Gala will be happening in September, rather than the usual first Monday in May. 2021's Met Gala will be held on September 13th, coinciding with the close of New York Fashion Week.

The 2021 Met Gala theme will be "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion," and will be co-chaired by Timothée Chalamet, Billie Eilish, US youth poet laureate Amanda Gorman and tennis pro Naomi Osaka.

But who else has been invited? And who is sitting next to who? An unconfirmed, seemingly fake seating chart has gone viral on social media, leading to outrage and speculation. Here's what we know so far.

Who is attending the Met Gala 2021?

Met Gala 2021 guest list: Who is invited to the Met Gala?

Seeing as this year's event is happening in September rather than May, some mainstay guests may not be able to attend due to scheduling conflicts. Harry Styles, for example, has a concert in Houston on that same night. Others currently living outside of the US may avoid attending due to travel restrictions.

• An official 2021 Met Gala guest list has not yet been confirmed or revealed.

And yes, there likely will be TikTokers and influencers on the guest list. In the past, people like Liza Koshy, James Charles and Lilly Singh have all attended. This year, Emma Chamberlain and Addison Rae are rumoured to have been invited.

While there's rumours about Charli D'Amelio attending, it's been reported by Stylecaster that the Met Gala does not admit any guests under the age of 18. Charli turns 18 in May 2022.

Met Gala 2021 seating chart: Who is sitting at which table?

The actual Met Gala 2021 seating chart will likely not be made public, but photos from inside the event could reveal who ended up sitting next to who on the night.

This year, a mask mandate has also been introduced and guests will have to make sure they're observing physical and social distancing. As a result, the seating chart could be vastly different, and possibly more spaced out, to what we've seen in the past.

However, that hasn't stopped the internet from expressing their opinion based on a viral – and fake – seating plan shared on social media by an Instagram account called _metgala2021. (The account added a disclaimer saying, "Nothing is confirmed here, so don't believe everything you see.")

The unconfirmed 'seating plan' sees Addison Rae allegedly sat at the same table as the likes of Beyoncé, Donatella Versace, Lady Gaga, Naomi Campbell, Emma Chamberlain and Hailey Bieber.

One table plan claims Harry Styles (who will be on tour in Houston on that night) is seated next to Kendall Jenner, with another placing Charli D'Amelio (who is not old enough) and James Charles with Kylie Jenner, Taylor Swift, Jared Leto and Idris Elba.

The chart also lists Jeremy Scott at two tables, and suggests that Dixie D'Amelio will be seated on Anna Wintour's table. (L – and I cannot stress this enough – OL.)

Of course, some guests mentioned on this seating plan may well be in attendance, but their table placements are yet to be confirmed.

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A post shared by Met Gala 2021 (@_metgala2021)

So, what exactly goes into creating the Met Gala seating chart? How do they do it?

Back in 2018, Vogue’s Director of Special Events, Eaddy Kiernan, revealed just how much thought and detail goes into the Met Gala's seating plan.

“We really try to think very carefully about who’s sitting next to each other," Kiernan said. “Our ideal pairing would maybe be two people who we think will just get on like a house on fire, but who may not even realize that they have a lot in common. So with each person, we really do take time to think, ‘What will they talk about?’”

Kiernan continued: “We try and think a lot about sight lines and where people have sat in the past. And we try to make sure someone isn’t staring into the eyes of a former flame."

A glimpse of the detailed Met Gala seating charts were once shared in The First Monday in May documentary.