This is why Taylor Swift missed the Met Gala this year

Taylor Swift didn't attend the Met Gala last night, much to the disappointment of Swifties who hoped she'd make her Met Gala red carpet debut with (relatively) new boyfriend Travis Kelce.

Arguably the most prestigious event of the fashion calendar, the Met Gala is a celebration of haute couture, with awe-inspiring gowns and ensembles that tread the line between fashion and art.

This year, the Met Gala fell on Monday 6th May 2024, the same week that Taylor's Eras Tour resumed, kicking off with a stint in Paris on Thursday 9th May. It would have been a very tight squeeze for Taylor, considering there are over three-and-a-half thousand miles between New York and Paris.

Taylor has attended the high fashion event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art six times before, but hasn't been pictured at the event since 2016 when she walked the red (or should we say cream and pink) carpet wearing a Louis Vuitton silver snakeskin dress for the Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology theme.

Though rumours swirled that she might drop into this year's event, PEOPLE reported that Taylor has "had a huge couple of weeks" and will be "focusing on rehearsals and tour prep ahead of her Eras Tour dates".

TMZ had previously reported that Travis and Taylor were both invited to fashion's most prestigious event, but had both already declined.

Taylor's reason for not attending the event was reported to be a commitment clash, while Travis presumably didn't want his first Met Gala rodeo to be without Taylor by his side (though this hasn't been confirmed by the NFL player).

But that didn't spot the speculation that the superstar might make a surprise appearance and wow us all with her fashion prowess.

Fashion legend Anna Wintour herself added fuel to the fire, telling Today host Jenna Bush Hager of Taylor's potential visit (via The Daily Mail): "I hope she comes and enjoys the exhibit."

Taylor wasn't the only big name missed off the guest list for the Met Gala 2024. It was hoped that Beyoncé would also turn up at the 11th hour, but sadly she never graced the Metropolitan Museum of Art steps.

Margot Robbie, Anne Hathaway and Rihanna, who have provided some of the most talked-about looks in Met Gala history, were also notably absent. Margot is currently shooting her new film The Big Bold Beautiful Journey in Los Angeles, a fair trek from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

While it's not clear why after her iconic look for last year's Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, Anne decided to take the year off, she did manage to give some advice to her The Idea of You co-star Nicholas Galitzine, who made his Met Gala debut for 2024. He told reporters on the red carpet (via Vogue Australia): "Have fun, [and] catch up with people!"

PEOPLE suggested that while Rihanna already had her outfit planned for this year's Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion-themed gala, she was devastatingly hit with a bad case of the flu before the event and had to pull out.