The 2026 Met Gala Theme Has Been Announced
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2 weeks ago
What to expect from the biggest night in global fashion
It’s arguably the biggest annual fashion gathering in the world, with celebrities from all over the world attending (dressed, of course, to theme) in celebration of New York City‘s beloved art museum. The Met Gala can only be described as spectacular, but it took a lot of planning to make it what it is today. Here’s everything you need to know about the event – from theme to dress code to co-chairs – plus how to watch it at home.
The Met Gala 2026: All The Details
What Is The 2025 Met Gala Theme?
As is tradition, the Met Gala theme is dictated by the Costume Institute’s annual spring exhibition. On 17 November 2025, the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced that the upcoming exhibition will be titled Costume Art, and will dive into the intricacies of the clothed body – told through the lens of conversations created between museum artworks and garments from the Costume Institute.
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‘This immensely creative and collaborative exhibition will demonstrate the Museum’s innovative and forward-thinking approach to presenting Costume Institute exhibitions, and will highlight The Met’s unique ability to position fashion within the context of more than 5,000 years of art represented in its collection,’ explained Max Hollein, The Met’s Marina Kellen French Director and Chief Executive Officer. He adds that the exhibition – which will run for three months longer than its predecessor – will inaugurate a series of major new gallery spaces that will be named after the late Condé M. Nast. ‘The newly designed, state-of-the-art Condé M. Nast Galleries further reflect The Met’s commitment to displaying and appreciating fashion as an art form, and also to continually investing in gallery improvement projects that will benefit our visitors for generations to come. We are deeply grateful to all of our donors for their remarkable generosity to create these new, grand public galleries.’
Focusing on Western art from prehistory to the present, Costume Art will be organised into a series of thematic body types – some examples include ‘Naked Body’, ‘Classical Body’, ‘Pregnant Body’, ‘Aging Body’, ‘Anatomical Body’ and ‘Mortal Body’ – that illustrate the relationship between clothing and the body. Pairings of fashions and artworks will also reveal how artistic representations of the body are shaped by the garments that clothe them, and how garments, reversely, are shaped by the bodies they clothe.
‘I wanted to focus on the centrality of the dressed body within the Museum, connecting artistic representations of the body with fashion as an embodied artform,’ explained Andrew Bolton, Curator in Charge at The Costume Institute. ‘Rather than prioritizing fashion’s visuality, which often comes at the expense of the corporeal, Costume Art privileges its materiality and the indivisible connection between our bodies and the clothes we wear. The opening of the new Galleries will mark a pivotal moment for the department, one that acknowledges the critical role that fashion plays not only within art history but also within contemporary culture.’
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What Is The Dress Code?
Now, the dress code usually differs from the actual Met Gala theme itself. Last year, for example, the spring exhibition was themed Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, while the dress code was ‘Tailored For You’. The dress code is typically announced by Vogue a few months before the event, so we have a little while to wait before we receive the full details – but we can expect something that offers a nod to the exhibition, while celebrating each individual’s personal style.
Who Are The Co-Chairs?
Alongside Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, the Met Gala is usually chaired by a group of A-listers who have made their mark on the cultural zeitgeist. (In 2025, for example, the Met Gala was co-chaired by Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky and Pharrell Williams, with NBA legend LeBron James serving as honorary chair.) No names have announced just yet – we expect to hear more in 2026.
Who Is On The Host Committee?
In previous years, Anna Wintour has enlisted one or two people to host the Met Gala. But more recently, the usual format has been replaced by a host committee made up of influential figures across arts, culture, fashion, film, music and sport. Details of who will make up the next committee are expected to be revealed in 2026.
Objects from The Abstract Body on display at The Met’s Costume Art press conference (Image: Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, BFA.com/Matteo Prandoni)
What Is The Met Gala?
Established in 1948 by fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert, the Met Gala is an annual fundraiser held for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City. Coinciding with the opening of the museum’s spring exhibition, guests are expected to dress up based on the year’s exhibition theme in a formal and haute couture style – making it one of the most glamorous fashion events on the yearly calendar. Since 1995, the event has been co-chaired by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.
When & Where Is The Met Gala?
The Met Gala is held every year in New York City at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As per tradition, it is held on the first Monday of May, to mark the opening of the Costume Institute’s annual fashion exhibition – and the next gala falls on 4 May 2026.
Who Attends?
Unlike other charity events, the Met Gala is invitation-only – and there’s usually a waiting list to get a ticket. It’s usually attended by celebrities and personalities spanning the arts, fashion, film, music, sports and high society. Some of the names who attended last year, for example, include Lewis Hamilton, Rihanna, Zendaya, Stormzy, Gigi Hadid, Dua Lipa, Anne Hathaway, Colman Domingo and Madonna. The guest list is kept tightly under wraps until the event itself, however, so we won’t know who will step out for sure until that first Monday in May.
How To Watch The 2026 Met Gala
Not every country will be broadcasting the Met Gala live on TV, so your best bet is streaming the event via official partner Vogue‘s social channels. There will be a Met Gala takeover on the publication’s TikTok and YouTube, as well as its website. Stay tuned for updates.
Catch Up On Last Year’s Met Gala
Miss out on the fun last year? Don’t worry, you can still watch the highlights from the 2025 Met Gala below:
When Does The Met Gala Exhibition Open?
When: 10 May 2026 – 10 January 2027
Where: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10028 (Gallery 099)
BOOK: metmuseum.org
