Met Gala 2026: The Rules Guests Must Follow and Which Ones Were Broken

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City hosted the 2026 Met Gala on Monday evening, May 4, under the direction of Vogue and Anna Wintour. This year's event marked fashion's most anticipated evening, celebrating the Met's Costume Art exhibition, which examines "the 'centrality of the dressed body' through depictions and interpretations of the human form in the Met's extensive collection."

The gala's theme, "Fashion is Art," guided attendees' sartorial choices for the evening. The event brought together an impressive roster of co-chairs, including Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and a former Vogue editor-in-chief.

Like every year, the Met Gala operates under a strict set of guidelines that attendees are expected to observe. However, the 2026 edition saw two of these established rules broken during the proceedings. The gala's framework of regulations ensures the event maintains its prestige and carefully curated nature, though this year's infractions highlighted the challenges of maintaining perfect compliance among high-profile guests.

The specific rules and their violations continue to shape conversations about how the Met Gala manages its guest list and expectations moving forward.