Met Gala 2025: What to expect from fashion’s most exclusive starry spectacle, Shah Rukh Khan's debut, and drama backstage

Dubai: Brace yourselves — fashion’s biggest night is about to unleash another couture storm on the iconic steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

The 2025 Met Gala, which will be telecast on YouTube at 2am Tuesday night for UAE viewers, is poised to be one of the most charged, chic, and controversial events in recent memory.

With a theme that dives deep into the cultural power of Black style and dandyism, a guest list dripping with A-listers, and a certain Bollywood icon making his debut, this year’s gala promises high fashion and even higher drama.

At the heart of this spectacle is a theme that’s anything but superficial. “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” is a deliberate nod to the elegance, resistance, and creative rebellion found in Black fashion history.

Expect sharply tailored suits, silk-lined statements, and outfits that speak louder than any red-carpet interview.

The official dress code, aptly titled “Tailored for You,” encourages guests to put their own spin on classic menswear, turning tradition on its head with personal flair and political edge.

But this year’s twist isn’t just about the West. Shah Rukh Khan, Bollywood’s ultimate showman, is rumoured to be making his first-ever appearance at the Met Gala.

Yes, SRK — King of Hearts, global superstar, and India’s most beloved leading man — could be gracing the Met steps, and fashion insiders are already buzzing about a possible collaboration with Gaurav Gupta or Sabyasachi.

It’s the kind of crossover moment that’s bound to send both Indian and global fashion circles into overdrive.

Add to that a returning Alia Bhatt, possibly in another Rahul Mishra masterpiece, and whispers of Deepika Padukone joining the guest list, and you have a Bollywood invasion that’s ready to challenge the Western fashion elite.

Meanwhile, co-chairs Pharrell Williams, A$AP Rocky, Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, and of course Anna Wintour, will anchor the evening, alongside honorary chair LeBron James.

The red carpet will be rolled out on May 5 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, with livestream coverage starting at 6pm Eastern Time — that’s 2am on May 6 for fashion lovers in Dubai.

Behind the glamour, though, lurks controversy. The theme, rooted in identity and history, brings with it the pressure of getting it right. There are already murmurs about whether the event will honour the weight of Black dandyism or reduce it to a fashion gimmick. The Met Gala has always walked a fine line between reverence and spectacle, and this year, that tightrope feels especially taut.

Still, if fashion is theatre, then the Met Gala is Broadway. It’s where power, politics, and couture collide — and this year, Bollywood is taking centre stage.