Celebrities have reminisced over the Met Gala on the day the 2020 event would have been held had it not been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Usually taking place on the first Monday of May each year, the Met Gala attracts the biggest names in showbiz for fashion’s ultimate event.

The gala, which has a different theme every 12 months, is synonymous with glitz and glamour as the world’s biggest designers spend months preparing to dress A-listers in elaborate and extravagant outfits.

This year’s exhibition, titled About Time: Fashion and Duration, was cancelled in March, with New York, the city which hosts the show at the Metropolitan Museum Of Art, becoming the epicentre of the US coronavirus outbreak.

On the day they should have been walking up the Met’s famous staircase, celebrities shared their favourite memories of the show.

Kim Kardashian West, always one of the stand-out stars at the Met Gala, marked the occasion by posting pictures of her favourite outfits online.

They included dresses from Vivienne Westwood and Versace, as well as the eye-catching Thierry Mugler outfit from last year, which was designed to make the star look like she was dripping wet.

Her sister and fellow gala regular Kylie Jenner also posted some of her favourite looks on Instagram.

They included a silver embellished gown by Balmain from 2016 and a Versace gown she wore the following year.

Oscar-winning actress Julia Roberts posted a picture from inside her bathroom, showing her wearing a ball gown while holding a drink and standing at the window.

“Here’s me…not going to the Met Ball tonight,” she captioned the post, adding the hashtags #stayhome #yesyoustillhavetostayhome.

Her niece, the actress Emma Roberts, shared a picture of her in a pink dress and said: “In a parallel universe we’re at the #met tonight.”

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In a parallel universe we’re at the #met tonight 🌸

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Hailey Bieber, model and wife of pop star Justin, posted a picture from the 2019 gala showing her Alexander Wang dress.

She said: “Thinking back on all the amazing and fun memories the first Monday in May always brings… can’t wait till we can do it all again and again and again.”

Singer Rita Ora shared snaps of her and her famous friends at previous galas, including Miley Cyrus and Kate Moss, and said: “Love you all cant wait to see you all soon.”

Rita Wilson, singer, actress and wife of Tom Hanks, paid tribute to fashion designer Miuccia Prada as she looked back on her trips to New York.

Wilson, who recently recovered from coronavirus, said: “I love Miuccia PRADA as a woman, an artist, a philanthropist, a mother, a wife and nature lover.

“She is down to earth, a rebel, a warrior. All with kindness.”

Former Victoria’s Secret angel Lily Aldridge said the gala “is an event I look forward to every year” and posted some of her outfits from previous shows.

Actress Chloe Grace Moretz revealed she would have been wearing an outfit from French fashion designer Nicolas Ghesquiere for this year’s show, but said it is “incredibly important” to stay indoors to halt the spread of coronavirus.

She added: “I can’t wait till we are healthy and safe to be able to bring everyone together for this amazing event in the near future.”

In place of a regular Met Gala, Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour hosted a special livestream to celebrate the history of the event.

A Moment With the Met featured a performance from Florence Welch and a DJ set from Virgil Abloh.