The Met Gala 2026 once again turned the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York into fashion’s most watched runway, as a constellation of global stars arrived for an evening themed Costume Art.
Held annually on the first Monday in May, the event draws an exclusive guest list of actors, musicians, designers and cultural figures, each interpreting the theme in bold and often theatrical ways. This year’s edition was no exception.
Among the early arrivals were Beyoncé, Madonna, Rihanna, Sabrina Carpenter, Teyana Taylor, Janelle Monáe, Cher, Kate Moss and Charli XCX, alongside Hollywood stars such as Anne Hathaway, Margot Robbie and Gwendoline Christie.
Other attendees included Bad Bunny, Doja Cat, Venus Williams, Bill Skarsgård and Blake Lively, all stepping out in looks designed to reflect the exhibition’s focus on the relationship between clothing, identity and the human form.
The 2026 theme, Costume Art, explores how garments interact with the body in art and culture, highlighting everything from classical representations to more contemporary interpretations of identity, age and transformation. The accompanying exhibition, opening on 10 May, brings together fashion pieces from The Costume Institute with artworks spanning the museum’s collection.
Co-chaired by figures including Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, the gala also featured a host committee of designers, artists and performers, alongside honorary chairs Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos.
Curated to challenge traditional ideas of beauty and status, the exhibition examines how clothing shapes perception of the body and how art reflects those evolving definitions. Items are displayed across thematic “body types”, from the classical to the anatomical, aiming to place different forms of expression on equal footing.
As always, the red carpet itself became part of the spectacle, with guests using fashion to make statements that blurred the line between costume, art and identity.
The 2026 Met Gala Celebrating “Costume Art” – Arrivals
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