Met Gala 2026: Theme, Dress Code, and Star-Studded Co-Chairs Announced

The 2026 Met Gala is happening tonight, and organizers have unveiled the dress code, celebrity co-chairs, and other key details for the highly anticipated evening.

Dress Code: "Fashion is Art"

Attendees are expected to embrace the "Fashion is Art" dress code, which invites guests to celebrate the vast array of ways the clothed body has been portrayed throughout art history. The directive encourages stars and fashion enthusiasts to consider how garments and fashion intersect with artistic expression.

Exhibition Theme: "Costume Art"

This year's event centers on "Costume Art," the spring exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. The showcase examines the significance of the dressed body within the museum's expansive collection, drawing from more than 5,000 years of cultural history.

Curator Andrew Bolton has organized the exhibition around thematic concepts of the body—ranging from the Naked Body to the Pregnant Body and the Aging Body—bringing together both historical and contemporary pieces from the Costume Institute alongside artworks from across The Met's holdings. The exhibition will be housed in The Met's newly completed Condé M. Nast Galleries, a nearly 12,000-square-foot space situated adjacent to the Great Hall.

Bolton remarked that the exhibition aims to settle the longstanding question of whether fashion constitutes art, suggesting "Costume Art" may finally put that debate to rest.

Celebrity Co-Chairs

The star-studded co-chair lineup includes Beyoncé Knowles, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams, among others confirmed to support the evening's prestigious host committee.