It’s that time of year again, where fashion fans can finally start to countdown; The Metropolitan Museum of Art has officially announced its 2026 Met Gala theme. Titled “Costume Art”, the exhibition will be celebrating the role of the dressed body throughout history.
Rather than focusing solely on garments, “Costume Art” aims to make the connection of fashion, art history and human anatomy more literal than ever, pairing garments with objects from across the museum to show how fashion has long been intertwined with different art forms.
Next year’s theme will also mark the opening of the new Condé M. Nast Galleries, a 12,000‑square‑foot space within the museum’s Great Hall dedicated entirely to the Costume Institute. Curated by Andrew Bolton, the exhibition will bring together contemporary and historical garments alongside paintings, sculptures, and artefacts spanning 5,000 years of human creativity to highlight how clothing and the body have interacted through different eras.
What is the dress code?
The dress code for the 2026 Met Gala has not yet been announced. It’s traditionally announced two or three months after the theme is revealed. But given the nature of the exhibition, we can expect a dress code that emphasises curves, free movement, and flexibility. There’s a chance the dress code will require guests to reimagine their bodies as art. In other words, expect some stellar looks.
We know that A-listers like Zendaya and Rihanna will surely bring it and continue to be on the best-dressed lists.
Who is on the host committee?
As of yet, no hosts have been announced for next year’s Met Gala. That said, the Met Gala welcomes a handful of A-list co-chairs as hosts for the event every year, including an assemblage of celebrities and cultural leaders such as Anna Wintour, Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, and Pharrell Williams.
When will the 2026 Met Gala take place?
As always, the Met Gala will be held on the first Monday in May, which falls on the 4th May, 2026. The red carpet will open at 4:30pm EST, before the Vogue livestream at 6pm EST. The “Costume Art” exhibition opens to the public on 10th May, 2026, and will run through 10th January, 2027 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
