Your guide to the 2026 Met Gala

Fashionistas knew this already: “Fashion is Art.” But how will Met Gala guests interpret that dress code at this year’s extravaganza? Last year’s theme, “Tailored For You,” led to a lot of great suits. This year’s promises to produce some truly flamboyant attire as guests mount the famous carpeted steps on May 4. As always, the dress code is inspired by the spring exhibit at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. “Costume Art” will pair some 200 art objects with 200 garments to highlight the connection between fashion and art through the centuries. Here are some key things to know as fashion’s biggest night approaches: When is the Met Gala? As always, the first Monday in May. What exactly is the Met Gala? It’s a fundraiser for the Costume Institute, the only self-funding department at the Met — and it's a huge one. Last year the evening brought in a record sum of more than $31 million. Who’s hosting? None other than Beyoncé, a familiar gala guest, is a co-chair, joined by Nicole Kidman,tennis champ Venus Williams and the one who runs it all, Vogue’s Anna Wintour. There's also a “host committee” chaired by designer Anthony Vaccarello and filmmaker Zoë Kravitz, and featuring names from Sabrina Carpenter and Teyana Taylor to Lena Dunham and Misty Copeland. But the names generating the most discussion are... “The exhibition and benefit are made possible by Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos,” said a Met press release in February. We tried, but the museum won’t say how much the Amazon founder and his wife, as lead sponsors and honorary chairs, are contributing. Protest against their participation has come from an activist group called Everyone Hates Elon, which posted an Instagram video of members hacking subway display cases to post anti-billionaire messages....