The 2026 Met Gala, held on May 4, 2026, is co-chaired by Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour, with honorary chairs Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez. The theme, "Costume Art," celebrates fashion as an embodied art form, with guests interpreting the dress code "Fashion is Art" through sculptural, architectural silhouettes. The accompanying exhibition, also titled "Costume Art," opens at The Met Fifth Avenue on May 10, 2026, and runs through January 10, 2027, pairing garments with artworks from the museum's collection to highlight the connection between fashion and fine art.
The Met Gala serves as the primary fundraiser for the Costume Institute, raising $31 million last year, and this year's event underscores the growing recognition of fashion as a legitimate fine art form. By juxtaposing historical and contemporary garments with fine art, the exhibition challenges traditional hierarchies and positions the dressed body as a central artistic subject, influencing both the fashion industry and broader cultural discourse on art.