Met Gala 2026: Theme, Date, Hosts, and Everything Else You Need to Know
The countdown to the 2026 Met Gala is officially on, as information on the date, hosts, theme and other details are revealed.
Widely referred to as “the Oscars of fashion,” the Met Gala is, of course, the annual fundraising event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, which has become a global cultural phenomenon on par, in terms of interest, with the Oscars. Each year, fashion and pop culture enthusiasts from around the world tune in to see celebrities, designers, socialites and other fashion insiders arrive at the event, walk the Met’s iconic stairs and showcase truly stunning looks inspired by and honoring the exhibition’s theme, which changes each year.
Below, find out everything you need to know so far about the 2026 Met Gala. Keep reading for more details or skip to your favorite section using the menu below.
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When is the 2026 Met Gala?
The prestigious event takes place every year on the first Monday in May, which means the 2026 Met Gala will take place on Monday, May 4, 2026.
What is the theme of the 2026 Met Gala?
On November 17, 2025, Vogue announced that the theme of the 2026 Met Gala is Costume Art. According to curator Andrew Bolton, the theme is inspired by “the centrality of the clothed body in the museum’s vast collection.”
The upcoming exhibition will mark the grand opening of the nearly 12,000 square foot Condé M. Nast Galleries, a permanent space dedicated to fashion located adjacent to the Met’s Great Hall. The collection will include “paintings, sculptures and other objects spanning 5,000 years of art represented at the Met, as well as historical and contemporary clothing from the Costume Institute.”
“What connects every curatorial department and what connects every gallery in the museum is the fashion or the clothed body,” Bolton said. Vogue. “That’s the common thread of the whole museum, and that’s really the initial idea of the exhibition, this revelation: I know we’ve often been seen as the stepchildren, but, in fact, the clothed body is at the forefront in every gallery you encounter. Even the nude is never naked. It’s always inscribed with cultural values and ideas.”
What’s different about the 2026 Met Gala theme is that it’s Bolton’s first-ever film without subtitles. Although the theme originally had a side part to complement the main title, Bolton and his team ultimately decided to remove it. “We took it off and it was like taking off a corset,” he said. “I thought it was exactly what it should be. It’s bold, it’s strong, it’s a statement of intent. [The goal] it is not about creating a new hierarchy. It’s simply about dissolving that hierarchy and focusing on equivalence – the equivalence of works of art and the equivalence of bodies.
What is the dress code for the Met Gala 2026?
“Fashion is an art.” The exhibit juxtaposes fashion pieces with artwork that echoes clothing, or vice versa, so guests will also have to embody the art. Vogue was kind enough to round up 56 looks from the show and sort them by art movement, if you want to get an idea of how this dress code might fit the theme.
Who are the co-chairs of the 2026 Met Gala?
There are several levels of presidency here, as the Gala and the organizing committee are slightly separate entities. But here’s what we know, Vogue.
Gala Co-Chairs: Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams and Anna Wintour.
Co-chairs of the gala organizing committee: Anthony Vaccarello and Zoë Kravitz
Members of the gala organizing committee: Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Gwendoline Christie, Alex Consani, Misty Copeland, Elizabeth Debicki, Lena Dunham, Paloma Elsesser, LISA, Chloe Malle, Sam Smith, Teyana Taylor, Lauren Wasser, Anna Weyant, A’ja Wilson, Yseult, Adut Akech, Angela Bassett, Sinéad Burke, Rebecca Hall, Aimee Mullins, Tschabalala Self, Amy Sherald and Chase Sui Wonders.
Main sponsors of the gala and exhibition, honorary presidents: Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos.
Who will attend the 2026 Met Gala?
The Met Gala guest list is still top secret until the evening; however, it is a safe bet that all of the various presidents and members mentioned above will be in attendance. We also expect to see a number of the world’s biggest stars grace the steps of the Met, including Kendall Jenner, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, Zendaya, Rihanna, Timothée Chalamet, and more. We also count on the presence and consideration of new faces (rising pop superstar Olivia Dean, perhaps?).
Who will host the 2026 Met Gala red carpet?
We don’t yet know who will host the 2026 Met Gala red carpet. For reference, Vogue revealed last year’s hosts (LaLa Anthony, Teyana Taylor and Ego Nwodim) just weeks before the event.
This story was originally published on Teen Vogue, and will be updated as new news about the 2026 Met Gala is released.
