The Met Gala 2026 Theme, Exhibit, and More Details About Fashion's Biggest Night

Met Gala season is upon us. The annual event takes place on the first Monday in May (May 4, 2026 this year) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, following its traditional calendar. We know the Met Gala is a whirlwind of fashion, beauty, imagination, and creativity so it’s fair if you have lots of questions about the iconic event. If you’re wondering “What is the Met Gala?” or “What happens at the Met Gala?” don’t worry, we have a quick rundown of everything you need to know. Starting with the basics, you may or may not know that Condé Nast’s Chief Content Officer Anna Wintour has been cochairing the Met Gala since 1999, and she’s the backbone of fashion’s biggest night.

Wintour has run the Met Gala since 1995, and continues to make it one of the most noteworthy celebrations of art and fashion. And behind all the glitz and glamour on the red carpet, there’s a curated exhibit for attendees (and eventually the public) to enjoy. The Met Gala 2026 theme centers around “Costume Art” and the relationship between fashion and the dressed body. The exhibit, which runs from May 10, 2026 through Jan. 10, 2027, includes pieces from designers like Thom Browne, Robert Wun, Christian Louboutin, and Telfar, and incorporates sections on skin, the disabled body, the plus-size body (referred to as “corpulent” which has sparked some controversy), and more.

The gala’s theme is “Fashion Is Art” and encourages wearers to celebrate the connection between the two with designs that reference anything from paintings to sculptures to photographs. And several celebrities took the opportunity to highlight Black art, taking representation into their own hands after 2025’s “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” theme.

The co-chairs for the 2026 Met Gala included Beyoncé, Venus Williams, Nicole Kidman, and of course, Anna Wintour. In another bout of controversy, Lauren Sánchez Bezos along with husband Jeff Bezos served as honorary co-chairs and lead sponsors, though Sánchez Bezos walked the red carpet solo. Keep scrolling for everything to know about the 2026 Met Gala.

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