The Met Gala 2026, the annual fundraiser for The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, sits at the intersection of fashion, art, and philanthropy. And the Met Gala red carpet, which is famously (and rather elegantly) draped across the steps of The Met, is where it all begins.
On the first Monday in May, the ultraexclusive event, the primary source of annual funding for The Met’s Costume Institute, takes over the New York City landmark, as guests from all corners of culture gather in support of the institute. This year, the dress code is “Fashion Is Art” in support of the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition, “Costume Art.” Sure, “Fashion Is Art” sounds simple, but it offers more than a guiding concept inspired by the exhibition’s focus on fashion as an embodied art form. It can also be interpreted as a sartorial springboard for guests hoping to make fashion history by experimenting with bold colors, textures, silhouettes, and styling as they ascend the steps of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. How will the roughly 450 guests from the worlds of fashion, entertainment, politics, technology, media, sport, and more interpret it? Keep scrolling to see all the looks from the Met Gala 2026 red carpet.
This year’s spring exhibition is “Costume Art” and examines the centrality of the dressed body throughout time and culture. Organized into 13 “thematic body parts,” the exhibition pairs garments and accessories with paintings, drawings, sculptures, and photographs, ultimately displaying nearly 400 objects. Categories range from the “Naked Body” and the “Classical Body” to the “Pregnant Body” and the “Aging Body.” Furthermore, “Costume Art” is a debut of sorts. The exhibition, curated by Andrew Bolton, curator in charge of the Costume Institute, is the first exhibition in The Met’s new Condé M. Nast Galleries, which span nearly 12,000 square feet. “Costume Art” opens to the public on Sunday, May 10, and runs through Sunday, January 10, 2027.
As the Met Gala red carpet begins, expect to see this year’s co-chairs arriving in time to welcome fellow guests. Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams will join Anna Wintour as co-chairs. Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos serve as honorary chairs.
