The 2026 Met Gala will feature a theme called ‘Costume Art’, emphasizing the artistic representation of the body in fashion. It will take place on May 4, 2026, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Key facts:
- The accompanying exhibition ‘Costume Art’ opens on May 10, 2026.
- The exhibition explores the interplay between the body and clothing over a century.
- The dress code is ‘Fashion is Art’.
- Co-chairs include Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour.
The exhibition will showcase garments by designers such as Rei Kawakubo and Riccardo Tisci. It will also feature custom mannequins to represent diverse body types. This shift marks a significant change in the Met Gala’s approach to inclusivity.
Andrew Bolton stated that ‘Costume Art’ celebrates the body in all its strengths and weaknesses. He highlighted a focus on marginalized bodies in fashion that have not been valorized in Western culture.
The Met Gala serves as a charity event for The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. In 2025, it raised $31 million, marking its highest total ever.
The new gallery for the Costume Institute is named after Condé Montrose Nast. The exhibition will include thematic chapters like ‘The Naked Body’ and ‘The Pregnant Body’.
