The Met Gala is nothing without its celebrity guests—but this year, one of the world’s biggest celebrities will be MIA: Beyoncé. The Met Gala is one of the biggest nights in fashion, with A-list celebrities showing off out-of-this-world looks and creating trend-setting styles. And this year’s theme, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, is sure to bring out some stunning looks. However, every year, there are always a few celebrities you can’t find on the red carpet. One such celeb which viewers won’t see at the Gala this year is Miss Bey herself.
Beyoncé has already had an extremely busy 2025. From winning Country Album of the Year at the Grammys for Cowboy Carter to starting her world tour, she’s been hard to track down. In fact, one of the key reasons Beyoncé will be missing from the action this year has to do with her Cowboy Carter Tour. Starting in April 2025, Beyoncé is scheduled to have shows all throughout the United States. Additionally, in May, she’ll head to London and Paris to continue the tour across the pond. In fact, on the very night of the Met Gala, May 5, Beyoncé will be performing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
However, Cowboy Carter may not be the only thing standing in between Beyoncé and the Met Gala. Beyoncé hasn’t attended the event since 2016, for the theme Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology. At her last Met Gala appearance, Beyoncé wore a nude Givenchy dress with stunning beading. Her absence following that appearance was notable, as Beyoncé previously seemed to have a close relationship with the event — attending her first Gala in 2008. However, due to the almost decade-long pattern she’s set, her 2025 absence is really nothing new. Along with Beyoncé, Jay-Z, too, has not attended the event since 2016. When searching for reasons why the A-lister hasn’t attended the event — which other stars like Rihanna, Zendaya, and the Kardashians rarely miss — it’s hard to find one singular reason.
One potential explanation is simply that Beyoncé keeps herself extremely busy. In 2024, she was booked, rolling out the Cowboy Carter album. In 2023, she was preparing for the Renaissance Tour during the Met Gala. However, Beyoncé could have her own personal reasons for not attending the event. Gwyneth Paltrow has previously called the event “un-fun,” and there are numerous celebrities who have never attended the Gala for personal reasons, such as Meryl Streep and Jennifer Aniston. Whatever Beyoncé’s reasons are, she doesn’t seem to be sharing them. Thankfully, the Met Gala isn’t the only place to see interesting looks and keep up with our favorite celebrities. The Beyhive is staying fed with news on the Cowboy Carter Tour, where Beyoncé is sure to debut some new stunning looks. If there’s one thing about Beyoncé, it’s that she will always serve — with or without the Met Gala.