- The Met Gala is held almost every year at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
- Some stars like Princess Diana and Elon Musk have made surprising appearances at the event.
- So have influencers including James Charles, actresses like Hilary Duff, and more.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
Princess Diana made a royal appearance at the Met Gala in 1996.
She attended the "Christian Dior"-themed event wearing a navy-blue John Galliano dress.
While she was a US senator, Hillary Clinton attended the 2001 Met Gala.
She wore a cheetah-print ball gown with a shiny shawl to the event, which was themed "Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years."
Nicky Hilton also attended that year.
However, she dressed more casually than Clinton, and wore a black corset top with a yellow printed skirt.
2001 was the first and only time R&B group 3LW attended the Met Gala.
Though the event was themed "Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years," Adrienne Bailon, Kiely Williams, and Naturi Naughton of 3LW arrived wearing neon ensembles.
Jessica Simpson wore a pastel-colored dress at the same event.
She attended two more Met Galas in 2005 and 2007, but hasn't been back since.
Also in 2006, Lindsay Lohan walked the Met Gala red carpet.
For her first Met Gala appearance, the actress donned a floral black-and-white gown, and strappy black heels.
Nick Cannon attended the 2006 Met Gala looking dapper.
After his first Met Gala, Cannon only attended once more in 2007 with his then-fiancée, Victoria's Secret model Selita Ebanks.
Hilary Duff dazzled at the 2008 Met Gala.
The event was themed "Superheroes: Fashion And Fantasy," for which Duff wore a sparkling strapless gown.
Michelle Trachtenberg also made her sole Met Gala appearance in 2008.
The "Gossip Girl" actress wore a single-strap dress with a black bodice and gold skirt.
Sarah Silverman donned a polka-dot dress at the 2008 event.
The comedian attended the Met Gala once again in 2014.
For "The Model as Muse" Met Gala in 2009, Winona Ryder rocked a black minidress with matching tights and heels.
She previously attended in 2007, but hasn't made an appearance since.
Justin Timberlake made his Met Gala debut in 2009.
He then became a regular at the event, attending frequently with his wife, Jessica Biel. However, he hasn't attended since 2012.
Oprah made a grand entrance at the 2010 Met Gala.
She wore a long-sleeved gown with a ruffled skirt to the event. It was the first and only time she has attended the Met Gala throughout her career.
Penn Badgley was one of many "Gossip Girl" cast members to attend the 2010 Met Gala.
He wore a classic tuxedo for the occasion, which was themed "American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity."
Nicole Richie also attended the 2010 event.
She shone on the red carpet in a sparkling gown with ruffled sleeves.
Fergie attended her second Met Gala in 2011.
The musician hasn't attended a Met Gala since the event's theme was "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty."
Chelsea Clinton has attended multiple Met Galas.
She wore a black-and-gray gown to match the 2013 event's "Punk: Chaos to Couture" theme.
Vanessa Hudgens surprised the crowd at the 2015 Met Gala.
She arrived at her first Met Gala wearing a bedazzled knee-length gown, which perfectly matched the red carpet.
Grimes walked the 2016 Met Gala red carpet.
She wore a blue Louis Vuitton dress for the event, which had green, black, and white striped sleeves and an asymmetrical skirt. The musician also wore combat boots and carried a sparkling purse.
Misty Copeland was also there that year in a shining gown.
Her strapless gown had a silver bodice with gray strips across its neckline and chest. The dress also featured a tiered skirt made from the two fabrics with a high slit.
The professional ballerina completed the look with heeled sandals, diamond jewelry, and a small clutch.
Two years later, Grimes returned to the Met Gala with boyfriend Elon Musk.
The couple wore black-and-white ensembles to the "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination" event.
YouTubers like James Charles made appearances at 2019's Met Gala.
While Charles wasn't the first internet star to attend the Met Gala, he still surprised audiences when he arrived wearing a top made from safety pins.
YouTuber Lily Singh also made her Met Gala debut that year.
For the "Camp: Notes on Fashion" event, the YouTuber and comedian wore a gown in shades of pink, purple, and white.