At Met Gala 2026, Fashion Is Art as Beyoncé, Kidman, and Venus Williams Co-Chair

Key facts

• The 2026 Met Gala took place on May 4 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
• Co-chairs included Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour.
• The exhibition 'Costume Art' opens May 10, 2026, and runs through January 10, 2027.
• The exhibit occupies the new 12,000-square-foot Condé M. Nast Galleries.
• Dress code 'Fashion Is Art' asked attendees to interpret fashion as a blank canvas.
• Nicole Kidman attended with her 17-year-old daughter Sunday Rose, both in Chanel.
• Cara Delevingne wore a custom Ralph Lauren gown referencing Swan Lake.
• Ashley Graham wore a custom Di Petsa gown with gilded manicure, evoking a statue.

The Night's Grand Stage

On Monday, May 4, the 2026 Met Gala descended on the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, bringing together about 450 guests from fashion, entertainment, politics, technology, media, and sports for the world's most fashionable fundraiser. The red carpet, draped across the museum's iconic steps, became a gallery of living art as celebrities interpreted the evening's dress code, 'Fashion Is Art,' issued in tandem with the spring exhibition 'Costume Art.' The event raised funds for the Costume Institute, with the exhibition set to open to the public on May 10, 2026, and remain on view until January 10, 2027.

Co-Chairs and Host Committee

The evening was led by co-chairs Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour, alongside host committee co-chairs Anthony Vaccarello and Zoë Kravitz. Other notable attendees included Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Alex Consani, Lena Dunham, Paloma Elsesser, Lisa, Teyana Taylor, Lauren Wasser, A’ja Wilson, and Yseult. Rihanna was also among the invitees, though her arrival was not immediately confirmed. The guest list spanned industries, with figures from sports, music, film, and fashion converging on the steps.

Interpreting 'Fashion Is Art'

The dress code 'Fashion Is Art' left ample room for creativity, and attendees delivered varied interpretations. Stylist Law Roach, known for dressing Zendaya, told E! News in March that the theme was broad and exciting, predicting at least one guest would dress as the Mona Lisa. Ashley Graham channeled a statue in a custom Di Petsa gown with a gilded manicure, explaining to E! that she wanted to look like 'a statue coming to life.' Cara Delevingne wore a custom Ralph Lauren gown with intricate feather-like beading and a slick bun, unmistakably referencing the Black Swan from Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake.

Mother-Daughter Duo in Chanel

Nicole Kidman, a co-chair, walked the red carpet with her 17-year-old daughter Sunday Rose, both dressed in Chanel. Sunday, whom Kidman shares with ex-husband Keith Urban, made her runway debut at Miu Miu's spring/summer 2025 Paris Fashion Week show in October 2024 and recently walked the Dior show.favorite Beyoncé song, she replied, 'All of it. Are you kidding me?' The mother-daughter appearance underscored the event's blend of fashion and family legacy.

The Exhibition: 'Costume Art'

The nearly 400-piece Costume Institute exhibition, 'Costume Art,' will fill the museum's new 12,000-square-foot Condé M. Nast Galleries. Curator Andrew Bolton explained to Vogue that the exhibition focuses on the 'indivisible connection between our bodies and the clothes we wear,' aiming to put the body back into discussions about art and fashion. The Met stated that the exhibit will 'pair garments with artworks to reveal the inherent relationship between clothing and the body.' Sub-sections include the classical body, the anatomical body, and the nude body, offering thematic guidance for guests.

Behind the Scenes: Months of Preparation for Five Minutes on the Carpet

Law Roach noted the immense effort behind each look, saying, 'It's a lot of stress and they're only on the carpet for like five minutes... so it's months and months of hard work for a five-minute payout.' Last year, the team had to measure the museum's front doors to ensure musician André 3000 could enter with a Steinway Model S baby grand piano strapped to his back. A$AP Rocky later remarked on Late Night with Seth Meyers, 'He stole the show!' The meticulous planning underscores the high stakes of fashion's biggest night.

A Night of Art and Philanthropy

The Met Gala remains the Costume Institute's primary fundraiser, with tickets reportedly costing tens of thousands of dollars. The event's exclusive nature and the convergence of cultural elites ensure its continued influence on fashion and art discourse. As the evening unfolded, the red carpet became a living exhibition, with each look contributing to the broader narrative of fashion as art. The 2026 edition, with its emphasis on the body and artistic expression, reaffirmed the gala's role as a barometer of contemporary style and a celebration of creative collaboration.

The bottom line

• The 2026 Met Gala took place on May 4, co-chaired by Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour.
• The dress code 'Fashion Is Art' prompted diverse interpretations, from Ashley Graham's statue look to Cara Delevingne's Black Swan.
• Nicole Kidman attended with her daughter Sunday Rose, both in Chanel, highlighting a family fashion moment.
• The exhibition 'Costume Art' opens May 10, 2026, in the new Condé M. Nast Galleries, featuring nearly 400 pieces.
• Curator Andrew Bolton emphasized the exhibition's focus on the connection between body and clothing.
• The event raised funds for the Costume Institute, with months of preparation culminating in brief red carpet appearances.