Where Is The Capitol in 'The Hunger Games'? People on Social Media Think It's At This Famous Event

The Capitol as seen on the Lionsgate film 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire'

It's canon that Panem lies somewhere in North America and could well be a stand-in for the United States. The dystopian realm in "The Hunger Games" is thought to have risen since some type of apocalyptic event that submerged the continent, but all signs point to it being present-day America. 

Suzanne Collins lifted the name of her fictional world from the Latin words for "bread and circuses" (panem et circenses). Considering how the entertainment industry, specifically the gladiatorial spectacle of reality television, has become indistinguishable from daily sustenance in the States, the comparison may not be that far off.  

But where would the fancy dressers of the Capitol and District 1 be? The answer looks as clear as day on the first Monday of May. 

@elis___stone May all innocent souls rest in peace 🕊️ #hungergames #metgala #metgala2024 #metgalastyle #metgalaoutfits ♬ origineel geluid - nina.editss

In 2024, the annual Met Gala reminded social media users of the immense wealth gap in Panem, the worship of celebrity in its richest districts, and the apathy with which they view the injustices around them.  

@fiorellaxcb to all the innocent lives lost - may you rest in paradise angels. 🍉✊🏼 • • • • #metgala #metgala2024 #metgalabestoutfits #metgalatheme ♬ origineel geluid - nina.editss

This year's Met Gala dress code was "The Garden of Time," in line with the theme “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” and it gave celeb attendees an excuse to come out in all their pastoral, whimsical glory. It was as if they teleported from some kind of woodland paradise onto the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. 

But to citizens of the Internet, the woods might as well be hanging trees. The event was giving Effie Trinket more than Katniss Everdeen.

This disdain for extravagant dress-ups comes as the youth, hyper-aware of conflict and suffering around the world, latch on to pacifist movements like Celebrity Block Party. It just might be the equivalent of a mockingjay whistle in real life.