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There are few nights on the fashion calendar as globally captivating and far-reaching as the Met Gala. As the evening when New York’s most storied museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, becomes the epicentre of culture, celebrity and couture, its red carpet has become a cultural phenomenon.
Each year, the Costume Institute’s event’s theme offers a new lens through which to consider the relationship between clothing and the world around it. And while last year’s event paid homage to historical Dandy style and Black identity, in 2026 the lens takes a crafty turn.
The forthcoming theme, “Costume Art”, pivots the focus back to the Metropolitan Museum of Art itself. Curator Andrew Bolton has drawn inspiration from the museum’s vast holdings, teasing an exhibition that interrogates the dressed body across centuries, mediums and movements. It’s a premise that promises both intellectual depth and red-carpet drama—and, of course, some interestingly vague interpretations.
Expect headline-grabbing fashion that reminds us that the body remains fashion’s most enduring canvas.
Ahead, read on for everything we know about the 2026 Met Gala.
What is the theme of the 2026 Met Gala?
The 2026 Met Gala theme, “Costume Art”, is rooted directly in the Met’s sprawling collection and the idea that every gallery—whether devoted to classical sculpture or modern photography—reveals something about the dressed body.
Andrew Bolton’s accompanying exhibition will pair nearly 200 artworks with 200 garments and accessories, placing pieces such as Rei Kawakubo’s sculptural designs alongside Hans Bellmer’s bulbous forms, or a classical Greek sculpture next to a Fortuny gown that mirrors its drapery.
The show will be divided into three sections: bodies omnipresent in art (including the nude), bodies often overlooked (such as aging or pregnant forms), and universal bodies (such as anatomical studies). Though art will frame the narrative, fashion remains the focal point. Even the mannequins, crafted with mirrored faces by artist Samar Hejazi, are designed to foster empathy between the viewer and the object.
With Saint Laurent sponsoring the exhibition, expect its influence to ripple through the night’s most memorable looks.
Who is on the guest list?
While the celebrity co-chairs and guests are yet to be announced, Anna Wintour is expected to helm the evening as always. She will be joined by Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez Bezos, who are sponsoring the event alongside Saint Laurent.
As for the guest list, anticipate an eclectic mix of fashion houses, supermodels, artists, musicians and cultural figures eager to interpret the “Costume Art” brief. Given the theme’s art-driven spirit, designers who specialise in sculptural silhouettes, experimental textiles and body-centric forms may dominate the red carpet (Hello, Daniel Rosebery). And if recent years are any indication, attendees will fully embrace sheer dressing, anatomical motifs and gallery-ready couture.
When will the 2026 Met Gala take place?
The 2026 Met Gala will take place on Monday, May 4, continuing the tradition of being held on the first Monday in May.
The “Costume Art” exhibition will open to the public on May 10, 2026 and run through January 10, 2027. This edition also celebrates a milestone: the debut of the new Condé Nast Galleries, located beside the museum’s Great Hall, which will permanently house the Met’s fashion collection and simplify visitors’ exhibition journey.
