The Met Gala opened in New York on Monday, May 4, 2026, with guests arriving from about 18:00 EST and about 450 A-list attendees expected. The event raised money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute and marked the opening of its spring exhibition. [1]
This year’s theme is “Costume Art,” named after the museum’s new exhibition of 400 outfits and objects spanning 5,000 years. The dress code is “Fashion is Art,” inviting guests to treat fashion as an embodied art form and to celebrate depictions of the dressed body throughout art history. [1]
Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams are co-chairs for the gala. Beyoncé is back at the Met Gala for the first time since 2016, when she attended the technology-themed event in a futuristic outfit. [1]
The host committee includes Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Teyana Taylor, Lisa from Blackpink, Elizabeth Debicki and Lena Dunham, with Anthony Vaccarello and Zoë Kravitz heading the group. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sanchez Bezos, are co-chairs and sponsors this year. [1]
The Bezos link has drawn calls for a boycott, with posters near the museum referring to workers’ rights issues. The gala remains the Costume Institute’s biggest night and its key fundraising event. [1]
The exhibition opened with the gala and runs until January 2027. It is the primary source of funding for the Costume Institute. [1]
