Met Gala 2026: Everything you should know

Publish date: Thursday, 16 Apr 2026, 2:48PM

The most anticipated night in fashion is nearly here!

The Met Gala will return on May 4, 2026, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, with the Costume Institute unveiling a new exhibition titled “Costume Art.”

The upcoming exhibition will examine the relationship between fashion and the human body, presenting a series of thematic “body types” as part of its concept. These are expected to range from the “naked body” and “classical body” to interpretations such as the “pregnant body” and “aging body,” offering a broad exploration of how clothing interacts with identity, form, and representation.

To mark the opening, Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour will co-chair the Costume Institute Benefit, better known as the Met Gala. The annual fundraising event traditionally sets the tone for the exhibition and draws some of the most high-profile names in fashion, film, music, and sport.

This year’s host committee includes Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Gwendoline Christie, Alex Consani, Misty Copeland, Sam Smith, and others, continuing the Gala’s reputation for blending established icons with rising cultural figures.

The official dress code, “Fashion is Art,” is expected to guide guests toward more conceptual interpretations of the theme. Rather than focusing purely on glamour, attendees are likely to reference the history of the dressed body in art, with inspiration drawn from movements such as Rococo, Baroque, and the Renaissance, alongside more modern influences like Pop Art and Cubism.

As always, the event is expected to deliver a wide range of interpretations, from highly theatrical couture to more abstract, art-driven looks, as guests respond to one of the Met Gala’s most conceptually ambitious themes in recent years.

Below, we’ve rounded up past runway looks that could suit the 2026 Met Gala dress code, “Fashion Is Art.”

1. If you're in favour of Renaissance

2. If You’re Cubism Reimagined

3. If You’re in Your Salvador Dalí Phase

4. If You’re in Your Warhol Era

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