2026 Met Gala: what to know about date, theme, guests and tickets

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• Met Gala 2026: date, timing, and red carpet schedule
• Costume Art: the 2026 Met Gala theme and what it means for fashion
  • Core ideas the exhibition highlights
• Who’s running the show: hosts, co-chairs and honorary chairs
• Who attends the Met Gala: typical guest list and 2026 predictions
• How to watch the Met Gala red carpet: livestreams and social coverage
• What designers might show and how looks could respond to the theme
• Quick facts and practical details for viewers

The Met Gala returns as the fashion world’s most electric night, where designers, celebrities and creatives converge at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to test boundaries and stage-making looks. Every spring the event reshapes the conversation about style, inviting bold statements, couture spectacle and runway-level theatrics on the red carpet.

This year’s edition follows the museum’s spring exhibition and promises to push the idea that clothing is more than decoration—it’s a lens for thinking about the body and identity. Below, find everything you need to know about Met Gala 2026: the date and schedule, this year’s theme and how it will influence looks, who’s hosting and expected VIPs, and the best ways to watch the red carpet live.

Met Gala 2026: date, timing, and red carpet schedule

The Met Gala traditionally takes place on the first Monday in May; for 2026 that falls on Monday, May 4. Expect red carpet arrivals to begin in the early evening, with major celebrity walk-throughs typically kicking off around 6 p.m. ET.

• Event date: May 4, 2026 (first Monday in May)
• Estimated red carpet start: ~6:00 p.m. Eastern Time
• Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City

Costume Art: the 2026 Met Gala theme and what it means for fashion

The Met Gala theme shifts each year to match the Met’s spring exhibition. For 2026 the museum announced an exhibition titled “Costume Art” on November 17, 2025. The show reframes garments as inseparable from the bodies that wear them and explores how dress and the human form interact across time and culture.

Core ideas the exhibition highlights

• Body as context: How clothing defines, frames, and responds to the human silhouette.
• Varied embodiments: Sections of the exhibition focus on different bodily states, such as the naked body, the classical body, pregnancy, and aging.
• Fashion as art: The dress code is framed around the notion that “fashion is art”, encouraging attendees to treat garments as sculptural, conceptual or narrative works.

Design houses and stylists are likely to draw inspiration from these themes—expect experimental silhouettes, deliberate references to historical modes of dress, and pieces that make statements about the body’s role in fashion. The exhibition team has emphasized that clothing threads through the museum’s collections, tying disparate objects and eras together; designers will probably mirror that connective thinking in their creations.

Who’s running the show: hosts, co-chairs and honorary chairs

Anna Wintour, who has steered the Met Gala since 1995, continues to serve as the event’s primary host. For 2026 she assembled a slate of high-profile co-chairs and honorary figures to front the evening.

• Co-chairs: Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams and Beyoncé
• Honorary chairs: Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos

These names typically help set the tone for the night, from guest selection to fundraising and the broader cultural positioning of the event. Their presence often influences which designers and celebrities are invited to participate and which creative directions receive a spotlight.

Who attends the Met Gala: typical guest list and 2026 predictions

The Met Gala is notoriously exclusive. Each year the guest list hovers around 450 people, mixing major film, music, modeling and sports stars with leaders from fashion, technology, politics and the arts.

Though the final invite list remains confidential until arrivals are revealed on the carpet, certain names are frequent attendees. Here are predicted or frequently seen guests to watch for in 2026:

• Kendall Jenner
• Kim Kardashian
• Lady Gaga
• Zendaya
• Rihanna
• Cardi B
• Possible 2026 additions: BLACKPINK’s Lisa, Bad Bunny, Hailey Bieber, Olivia Rodrigo, Ariana Grande

Beyond celebrities, expect a mix of designers, philanthropists and prominent industry figures whose fashions and seating can shape media narratives about the night.

How to watch the Met Gala red carpet: livestreams and social coverage

Official coverage of the Met Gala red carpet is typically available through major fashion media channels. In recent years, Vogue has run the primary live stream, broadcasting arrivals across its website and social platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and X.

• Primary livestream: Vogue’s website and social channels (Instagram, TikTok, X)
• Additional coverage: major outlets and fashion brands will stream and post highlights in real time
• For curated photo coverage: fashion sites and dedicated social accounts will publish quick turnarounds of standout looks

If you want a consolidated feed of the most talked-about outfits, follow fashion editors, photographers and brand channels that live-post looks and commentary throughout the evening.

What designers might show and how looks could respond to the theme

Given the exhibition’s emphasis on the body and costume as art, designers are likely to experiment with:

• Unconventional proportions and sculptural tailoring that alter silhouette and movement
• Deliberate references to classical sculpture, maternity dress, or garments that reveal or obscure the body
• Mixed media and craft—embroidery, armor-like structures, body-painted elements, and collaborative pieces that blur fashion with performance art

Expect theatrical statements more than wearable simplicity; the Met Gala often rewards risk-takers who translate concept into unforgettable visuals.

Quick facts and practical details for viewers

• Date: Monday, May 4, 2026
• Red carpet start (approx.): 6 p.m. ET
• Theme: Costume Art (exhibition focuses on the dressed body)
• Host: Anna Wintour, with co-chairs Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams and Beyoncé
• How to watch: Follow Vogue’s live coverage and major fashion publishers’ social pages for streaming and highlights

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