The Met Gala is back for another show-stopping red carpet, with the biggest names in Hollywood rushing to their stylists to earn themselves the title of "best dressed".

Here is everything you need to know about the iconic A-lister event.

When and where it is held

The annual gala, which takes place in New York City, will be held on Monday, May 5, with guests arriving from about 18:00 EST.

Brits can tune in this bank holiday at 23:00 BST to watch the world’s most regarded prestigious and glamorous fashion event.

As the designers, publicists and PAs preen and prepare their stars to walk the grand staircase, the public will be able to watch them showcase their outfits in the lengthy red carpet event.

The acres of media coverage will not showcase inside the event itself where these A-listers are treated to dinner, cocktails, live music and a look around the costume institute's new exhibition.

How you can watch it

For New York residents, you can witness the event firsthand by standing behind the barriers across the road from the museum.

For those who are not, you can catch the events livestream across Vogue’s digital platforms, including Youtube. 

News outlets will also be livestreaming their own coverage on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

For those who will be in bed, you can check social media platforms and news outlets on Tuesday where media coverage of the event will be inescapable.

Who is hosting?

Held for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in Manhattan, Vogue editor Anna Wintour who oversees the annual gala is joined by co-chairs Pharrell Williams and Lewis Hamilton, Coloman Domingo, A$AP Rocky and LeBron James.

Black talent is also being celebrated with the event's host committee, which includes athlete Simone Biles, film director Spike Lee, actress Ayo Edebiri, pop stars Doechii, Usher, Tyla, Janelle Monáe and André 3000, author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and playwright Jeremy O Harris.

What is the theme?

It will be the first time in more than 2 decades that menswear will be spotlighted exclusively in the theme.

The Met Gala's theme is usually connected to the Costume Institute's latest exhibition. This year it is ‘Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,’ which highlights how style is associated with Black identities.

The show is inspired by Monica L Miller's book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity, published in 2009.

The roots of Black dandyism go back to the 17th and 18th centuries when wealthy slave-owners would dress up enslaved people in fancy clothing to show off their wealth.

Miller explained in a 2012 interview with NPR that while that was a moment "in which Black people were dressed to be objects," it was also the moment when Black people, men in particular, "flipped the script on that particular mode of degradation."

"The theme this year is not only timely," said Gala committee member Usher, "but also speaks to our rich culture that should always be widely celebrated."

It is expected that there will be an abundance of references to the role of black style and its influence over the centuries, particularly in menswear.

Don’t expect the red carpet to be covered in suits of gray, black and navy fabrics. In her 2012 interview, Miller makes the point that Black fashion has historically been a clash of "respectable" outfits versus looks that are more outré.

The Met says the show "presents a cultural and historical examination of black style from the 18th Century to today, through the lens of dandyism.