Met Gala 2020 not cancelled amid coronavirus outbreak

Fashion event set to take place in New York City on 4 May

2020 Met Gala not cancelled amid coronavirus outbreak (Getty)

The Met Gala, the biggest night of the year in fashion, will proceed as planned despite the coronavirus outbreak.

This week, numerous upcoming events scheduled to take place in New York City, including the St Patrick’s Day Parade, the New York International Auto Show, and the New York Half Marathon, have been cancelled or postponed as the number of confirmed cases of the virus has increased.

However, as of now, fears over the virus - which has infected more than 200 people in New York - have not impacted the 2020 Met Gala, set to take place 4 May. Rather, preparations for the event are proceeding as planned, according to the organisers of the event.

“We are proceeding as planned and look forward to a wonderful evening,” Nancy Chilton, chief external relations officer of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, told The Cut. “We will of course continue to keep a close eye on the situation.”

In a statement to The Independent, a spokesperson for The Met said: "Right now all museum events are cancelled through 3 April. Given the uncertain public health environment, we will review on a rolling basis which museum events beyond 3 April will be cancelled or postponed. We are hoping for the best, but public health and safety are our first priorities."

This year’s event, hosted by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, Louis Vuitton creative director Nicolas Ghesquiere, playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda, and actors Meryl Streep and Emma Stone, will follow the theme “About Time: Fashion and Duration.”

The location of the Met Gala - the Metropolitan Museum of Art - will be temporarily closed due to the outbreak, however, according to a statement released by the museum on Thursday.

“The Metropolitan Museum of Art will temporarily close all three locations - The Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer, and The Met Cloisters - starting tomorrow, 13 March, to support New York City’s effort to contain the spread of COVID-19,” the statement reads. “The Museum will undertake a thorough cleaning and plans to announce next steps early next week.

“The Met’s priority is to protect and support our visitors, staff, and volunteers, and we have been taking several proactive precautionary measures, including discouraging travel to affected areas, implementing rigorous cleaning routines, and staying in close communication with New York City health officials and the Centers for Disease Control.

“While we don’t have any confirmed cases connected to the museum, we believe that we must do all that we can to ensure a safe and healthy environment for our community, which at this time calls for us to minimise gatherings while maintaining the cleanest environment possible.”

While the Met Gala has not yet been impacted by the global coronavirus outbreak, the same is not true for the rest of the fashion industry. Both Gucci and Ralph Lauren have recently cancelled upcoming shows set to take place in the US, according to WWD.

“In light of the ongoing uncertainties related to the novel coronavirus around the world, we have decided to cancel our fall 2020 show as a precautionary measure and out of respect for our teams, partners and consumers. Our primary focus remains on their health and safety,” a Ralph Lauren spokesman told the outlet.

The latest cancellations come after numerous designers chose to cancel shows and events during Milan Fashion Week.