The First Monday in May has a new directive. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced that the 2026 Met Gala theme and dress code is: “Fashion Is Art.” This year, the steps of the Met will transform into a living gallery. The theme is a bold, definitive statement designed to end the age-old debate of whether garments belong in the same breath as masterpieces. By stripping away the specific historical or floral lenses of previous years, the 2026 Gala invites guests to treat the human body as a canvas and clothing as a pure, expressive art form.

The Vision: “Costume Art”

The Gala serves as the grand opening for the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition, titled “Costume Art.” * The Exhibition: Curated by Andrew Bolton, the show will feature nearly 400 objects spanning 5,000 years of history. It will juxtapose contemporary garments with classical sculptures and paintings to highlight the “centrality of the dressed body” in art.

• The New Home: This exhibition will be the first to inaugurate the Condé M. Nast Galleries, a massive 12,000-square-foot permanent space located right off the museum’s Great Hall.
• The Mission: As Bolton put it, the goal is to “put an end to the rather obsolete ‘Is Fashion Art?’ debate once and for all.”

The Power Players: 2026 Co-Chairs

The leadership for 2026 brings together icons from music, film, and sport, ensuring the red carpet is as star-studded as the gallery walls:

• Beyoncé: Returning to the Met steps for the first time in a decade.
• Nicole Kidman: The Academy Award-winning actress and long-time fashion muse.
• Venus Williams: The tennis legend bringing her signature athletic elegance.
• Anna Wintour: The permanent architect of the Gala’s legacy.

Honorary Chairs: Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos (lead sponsors). Host Committee Chairs: Designer Anthony Vaccarello (Saint Laurent) and filmmaker Zoë Kravitz.

Met Gala 2026: The Cheat Sheet

Feature	Details
Date	Monday, May 4, 2026
Dress Code	“Fashion Is Art”
Exhibition Title	Costume Art (Opens May 10, 2026)
Red Carpet Vibe	Sculptural silhouettes, wearable art, and “living exhibit” concepts

“Fashion is no longer a guest in the museum; it is the masterpiece. In 2026, the red carpet isn’t just a walkway—it’s the most important gallery in the world.”