The 2026 Met Gala theme was announced Monday, Nov. 20. The long-awaited theme for fashion’s biggest night is “Costume Art.”
The curator in charge of The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Andrew Bolton, told Vogue the goal for the theme “Costume Art” is to feature the significance of the body, pushing against certain idealized versions of what the body should look like. Bolton believes fashion as a form of expression beats out art as “it is about one’s lived, embodied experience.”
“Costume Art” mainly focuses on Western art from prehistoric times to the present. The collection is organized into a series of different body types that reflect how they appear to be everywhere and remain resilient throughout different eras.
Though the theme of the exhibit is not necessarily a strict dress code for guests of The Gala, the individual angles in attendees' style choices consistently attract the attention of viewers. Some predictions for this year's guests’ outfits include references to famous art pieces, historical costuming and human anatomy.
Viewers tune in to see their favorite celebrities take on the year’s theme. One of the most anticipated parts of seeing celebrities walk the steps each year is seeing what “Euphoria” and “Dune" star Zendaya, and her stylist Law Roach, create each year.
Some of Zendaya’s most iconic looks include 2018’s "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination," where she dressed as Joan of Arc and 2019’s "Camp: Notes on Fashion,” where Zendaya was Cinderella and Roach dressed as her fairy godmother.
Yves Saint Laurent is one of the event's main sponsors, and fashion fans might be in for a treat with the possibility of the brand’s ambassadors appearing at the Met Gala carpet. The brand's ambassadors include Austin Butler, Hailey Bieber, Rosé and Zoë Kravitz.
The cochairs for the 2026 Met Gala have not been announced yet. Viewers should be on the lookout for cochairs, honorary chairs and members of The Gala Host Committee within the upcoming months. Some memorable past cochairs were Colman Domingo and Pharrell Williams for 2025’s "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style."
The hosts of the 2026 Met Gala red carpet also have not been announced. Similarly to the cochairs, hosts are to be announced in the upcoming months. Comedian Ego Nwodim and singer-actor Teyana Taylor hosted Vogue's official livestream
The two garnered tension from Bollywood fans, due to some feeling they did not give enough recognition to actor Shah Rukh Khan, who is ranked the fourth richest actor in the world by the Financial Express.
Though both women acknowledged him to be the first male Bollywood star to attend the Met Gala, the rest of their questions for him were general questions. Some fans believe what really made the interaction uncomfortable was Khan’s stylist, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, accusing the two women of not knowing who he was.
Anna Wintour stepped down from her 37-year position as Vogue’s editor-in-chief this year, and handed the reins over to Chloe Malle. Wintour is still Vogue’s editorial director, meaning she still oversees The Met Gala alongside Bolton.
The Met Gala is Monday, May 4, 2026. This is not surprising considering the Met Gala typically takes place on the first Monday in May. There are a couple of exceptions to that such as in 2021, the gala was moved to September due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Starting May 10, 2026, museum goers are able to see "Costume Art” and the artworks it features from across The Met collection combined with garments from The Costume Institute.
