A look back at stunning Met Gala interiors over the years

From a 25-foot tall, flamboyant flamingo to a a gilded birdcage with live peacocks, these are the most breathtaking backdrops for fashion's most famous night

Every year, event planner Raul Ávila is given a daunting task: to transform the Metropolitan Museum of Art into an otherworldly spectacle for the annual Met Gala. For 2019’s “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” he created a 25-foot tall, flamboyant flamingo centrepiece comprised of 30,000 flowers. In 2018, he erected a rose recreation of a papal crown for “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” And those are just examples of floral formations: In 2007, for “Poiret: King of Fashion,” he filled a gilded birdcage with live peacocks. Minor chaos ensued when one escaped. “Everyone at the museum was chasing after her to get her back into the cage,” he recalled.

Each event brings an adventure: in 2013, Avila and his team flew in a chandelier from London and rigged it with razor blades for that year’s punk-themed bash, and “Heavenly Bodies” saw the Met’s grand staircase alight with thousands of candles. Then there are the table settings: 2019, for example, saw tablescapes with bamboo flatware, feather lampshades, floral plates, and shocking pink tablecloths.

2022’s soirée, “America: An Anthology of Fashion”—and its sure-to-be fantastical decor—will take place on May 2. So until then, take a spin through the Met Gala interiors throughout the years, from 2005's Chanel-themed soiree to the most recent affair in 2021.

In America A Lexicon Of Fashion 2021

For September’s “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” gala, the Great Hall housed a grand oak tree made of recycled materials, surrounded by a wild field of wheat grass. Photo: Hunter Abrams

In 2021, each Met Gala table featured a centerpiece comprised of North American flora from various states. Photo: Hunter Abrams

Camp Notes On Fashion 2019

“Camp is all about exaggeration,” Raul Ávilez said of his decor for the 2019 Met Gala. Here, a flamingo centerpiece in the museum’s Great Hall with a base comprised of 30,000 flowers. . Photo: Corey Tenold

“The inspiration is a reflection of my Latin roots and the unique floral and fauna,” said Àvila of this year's tablescapes.“There was no room for simplicity, even when it came to the table setting.”. Photo: Corey Tenold

The Met's grand staircase, adorned in a shocking pink. Photo: Corey Tenold

Heavenly Bodies Fashion And The Catholic Imagination 2018

For the 2018 Met Gala, Ávilez designed a papal crown centerpiece with 80,000 roses. Why recreate the headpiece? “The tiara is the most striking component of the Pope’s ensemble,” he said. Photo: Corey Tenold

The museum's staircase was accented with taper candles. Photo: Corey Tenold

Rei Kawakubo / Comme Des Garçons Art Of The In Between 2017

For “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between,” a giant, violet-shaped centerpiece towered over party-goers in the Great Hall. The giant flower was a nod to Kawakaubo's designs, many of which feature a floral motif. Photo: Corey Tenold