Here's everything we know about the 2021 Met Gala, including how to watch and the theme

Breathtaking, avant-garde ensembles have served as the focal point for the Met Gala's annual celebration of fashion, celebrities and art – but all eyes are on the must-have accessory of the year: a vaccination card. 

The biggest names in Hollywood are set to descend upon the Metropolitan Museum of Art's carpeted stairs in New York this fall, more than a year after the COVID-19 pandemic upended nearly all entertainment events and canceled the 2020 Met Gala. 

Fashion's biggest night will mark one of the largest red carpet extravaganzas that we have seen in some time, but things may look a little different this year. All attendees must be fully vaccinated from COVID-19, the museum announced in August.  

Here's everything you need to know about the 2021 Met Gala, from this year's theme, to safety protocols and the A-list celebrity co-chairs: 

When is the Met Gala?

The Met Gala is normally held on the first Monday of May, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was pushed back to Sept. 13 for a "more intimate" version at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This will mark the first in-person fundraising event since May 6, 2019 after the 2020 Met Gala was held virtually sans celebrities or red carpet. 

2020 Met Gala YouTube substitute: Anna Wintour teams up with Cardi B, Virgil Abloh and Florence Welch

Who are this year's Met Gala co-chairs?

Billie Eilish, 19, Timothée Chalamet, 25, Amanda Gorman, 23, and Naomi Osaka, 23, will be co-chairs of this year's Met Gala, the museum announced in May.

From Eilish channeling her body image struggles into a cutting edge style to Chalamet's bold red carpet choices, Gorman's iconic yellow inaugural coat and Osaka's versatile flair both on and off the tennis court – all four co-chairs have made waves in fashion in their own ways. 

Honorary chairs include American fashion designer Tom Ford, Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, which is sponsoring the gala.

2021 Met Gala co-chairs:Billie Eilish, Timothée Chalamet, Amanda Gorman and Naomi Osaka

What is this year's Met Gala theme?

The 2021 Met Gala is celebrating American fashion.

This year's theme, "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion," will honor the 75th anniversary of the museum’s Costume Institute and "explore a modern vocabulary of American fashion," the museum said. 

Andrew Bolton, the curator behind the Costume Institute, told Vogue in April that "American fashion is undergoing a Renaissance."

"The emphasis on conscious creativity was really consolidated during the pandemic and the social justice movements," Bolton told the outlet. "And I’ve been really impressed by American designers’ responses to the social and political climate, particularly around issues of body inclusivity and gender fluidity, and I’m just finding their work very, very self-reflective."

Who's invited?

The guest list is as exclusive and secretive as it gets. We won't know who will attend the Met Gala for sure until the actual event, but where's the fun in knowing ahead of time anyway? Expect to see the "Who's Who" of entertainment and fashion. 

However, one person we know won't be at the Met Gala is Zendaya. During an interview last week with Extra for her movie "Dune," the actress shared she would be working instead of walking the red carpet.

"I will unfortunately not be able to attend because I'll be working on 'Euphoria.' …  I wish I could especially since this fashion icon (Timothée Chalamet) is going to be hosting," she said.

What are the COVID safety protocols?

The museum requires all visitors age 12 and older to be vaccinated against COVID-19, in accordance to New York's mandate requiring proof of vaccination for indoor activities.

The same will apply to this year's Met Gala. 

"Currently, all attendees… must provide proof of full vaccination and will also be expected to wear masks indoors except when eating or drinking," a spokesperson for The Met confirmed to People earlier this month. "We will update these guidelines as needed."

How to stream the Met Gala

The Met Gala is one the hardest invitations to score, but if you are left on the couch like the rest of us, don't fret. The fashion extravaganza will be exclusively streamed by Vogue on Twitter.

The livestream, hosted by actresses KeKe Palmer and Ilana Glazer, will feature "unprecedented access to the Met Gala’s famous red carpet," including interviews with high-profile guests and a close look at their attire. 

Head over to twitter.com/voguemagazine on Sept. 13 at 5:30 p.m. EST to tune in.

Already looking forward to next year's Met Gala?

Although the blockbuster fundraiser will take place in the fall this year, the 2022 Met Gala will return to its traditional date on the first Monday of the month: May 2, 2022.

The theme will be a continuation of fashion in the United States, "In America: An Anthology of Fashion," the second installment of the two-part exploration.

When will the exhibits open to the public?

"In America: A Lexicon of Fashion," featuring ensembles exploring fashion in the United States and the "deeper associations with issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion," is slated to open Sept. 18.

Part two, "In America: An Anthology of Fashion," will open in the museum’s popular American Wing period rooms on May 5, 2022. The collection will explore American fashion, with collaborations with film directors, by "presenting narratives that relate to the complex and layered histories of those spaces."

Both exhibits will close Sept. 5, 2022.