Met Gala 2026 – Everything to know about fashion's biggest night
The Met Gala, often billed as "fashion's biggest night," is returning with perhaps its most ambitious theme yet, the artistically-driven "Costume Art."
Edward SegarraIf you thought fashion was just clothes on a rack, the Met Gala is here to clear up that misconception.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual gala and red carpet, widely regarded as the pantheon of celebrity fashions, is returning with perhaps its most ambitious theme yet, the artistically-driven "Costume Art."
The biggest and brightest stars in Hollywood, accompanied by their top designer ateliers, will churn out fashion-forward looks that highlight the intrinsic artistry of style and dress-making.
This year's Met Gala also coincides with the launch of the nearly 12,000-square-foot Condé M. Nast Galleries, named after the magazine publisher behind leading publications Vogue, Vanity Fair, GQ, The New Yorker and others.
"I know that we've often been seen as the stepchild, but, in fact, the dressed body is front and center in every gallery you come across," Costume Institute curator-in-charge Andrew Bolton previously said. "Even the nude is never naked. It's always inscribed with cultural values and ideas."
Here's everything you need to know about fashion's biggest night.
When is the Met Gala 2026?
Held on the first Monday of May, the 2026 Met Gala will take place May 4.
Who is hosting Met Gala 2026?
Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams are set to serve as co-chairs for the 2026 Met Gala alongside lead chairperson and Vogue's global editorial director Anna Wintour.
Vogue also announced that designer Anthony Vaccarello and Zoë Kravitz will co-chair the Met Gala Host Committee for 2026 with members Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Gwendoline Christie, Misty Copeland, Elizabeth Debicki, Lena Dunham, Lisa, Sam Smith, Teyana Taylor and more stars.
What is the Met Gala?
The Costume Institute Benefit, commonly known as Met Gala, is a fundraiser for the museum's Costume Institute, which hosts a collection of over 33,000 fashion artifacts. The 2025 Met Gala raised $31 million, the highest gross in the event's 78-year history, according to The New York Times and Vanity Fair.
What is the Met Gala 2026 theme?
The theme coincides with the Metropolitan Museum of Art's spring exhibition, "Costume Art," which pays homage to the intersection of fashion and history.
The exhibit focuses on the "centrality of the dressed body in the museum's vast collection," per Vogue, pairing contemporary and historic garments from the Costume Institute's collection with paintings, sculptures and other art "spanning 5,000 years" from The Met.
"It will be transformative for our department, but I also think it's going to be transformative to fashion more generally," the Costume Institute's Bolton told the fashion outlet in November. "The fact that an art museum like The Met is actually giving a central location to fashion."
What is the dress code for Met Gala 2026?
In keeping with the Met Gala's theme, the dress code for the event is "fashion is art." Both vague and central to the true essence of style, the phrase seems aimed at urging designers to use the body as a blank canvas.
"What connects every curatorial department and what connects every single gallery in the museum is fashion, or the dressed body," Andrew Bolton told Vogue in February. "It's the common thread throughout the whole museum, which is really what the initial idea for the exhibition was."
When does the Met Gala start? Where to watch Met Gala 2026 red carpet
The 2026 Met Gala livestream will be hosted exclusively by Vogue, both on its official website and across its various digital platforms (including YouTube and TikTok).
The broadcast, helmed by hosts Ashley Graham, La La Anthony and Cara Delevingne, begins at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.
Additionally, the E! network will air its own red-carpet special from 6 to 9 p.m. ET/3 to 6 p.m. PT, providing viewers with expert commentary on the night's hottest looks.
What is Met's Costume Institute 2026 exhibit?
The exhibit, titled "Costume Art," will be open to the public from May 10 to Jan. 10, 2027, per the Met's official website.
The fashion expo, sponsored by Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos, will explore "depictions of the dressed body across The Met's vast collection, pairing garments with artworks to reveal the inherent relationship between clothing and the body," according to the exhibit's description.
Drawing influence from Western art history, the exhibition's fashion will be presented through a "series of thematic body types that reflect their pervasiveness and endurance through time and cultures."
Contributing: Taijuan Moorman and Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY