Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams to Co-Chair 2026 Met Gala as 'Costume Art' Theme Explores Fashion as Fine Art

Key facts

• The 2026 Met Gala takes place on Monday, May 4, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
• Theme is 'Costume Art'; dress code is 'Fashion Is Art'.
• Co-chairs: Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour.
• The spring exhibition opens to the public May 10 and runs through January 10, 2027.
• It is the first exhibit in the new Condé M. Nast Galleries, spanning nearly 12,000 square feet.
• Curator-in-Charge Andrew Bolton said the exhibition highlights the dressed body as a common thread across all museum galleries.
• Vogue’s livestream begins at 6 p.m. ET on May 4, hosted by Ashley Graham, Cara Delevingne, and La La Anthony; Emma Chamberlain returns as red carpet correspondent.
• Stylist Law Roach revealed planning for Zendaya’s look starts five months in advance.

A New Chapter for Fashion at the Met

The 2026 Met Gala, set for Monday, May 4, marks a pivotal moment for the Costume Institute as it inaugurates the Condé M. Nast Galleries, a nearly 12,000-square-foot wing dedicated to fashion. The evening’s theme, 'Costume Art,' and its corresponding dress code, 'Fashion Is Art,' aim to elevate fashion to the status of fine art, pairing historical and modern garments with art objects spanning 5,000 years. The exhibition, which opens to the public on May 10 and runs through January 10, 2027, will feature nearly 400 objects. It is organized into a series of thematic body types, with a focus on those traditionally overlooked. 'The opening of the new Galleries will mark a pivotal moment for the department,' said Andrew Bolton, Curator-in-Charge of the Costume Institute, in a statement. 'It acknowledges the critical role that fashion plays not only within art history but also within contemporary culture.'

Co-Chairs and Red Carpet Plans

This year’s co-chairs are music superstar Beyoncé, actress Nicole Kidman, tennis legend Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour, chief content officer for Condé Nast. Their presence underscores the gala’s blend of entertainment, sports, and fashion royalty. Vogue will host its sixth annual livestream of the red carpet, beginning at 6 p.m. ET on May 4 across its digital platforms, including YouTube and TikTok. The livestream will be hosted by Ashley Graham, Cara Delevingne, and La La Anthony, with Emma Chamberlain returning as red carpet correspondent.

The Exhibition: Art and Garments in Dialogue

The 'Costume Art' exhibition juxtaposes garments with works of art from the Met’s curatorial departments to illuminate new connections. According to the museum, the exhibition 'will highlight the inextricable relationship between clothing and the body and reveal that artistic representations of the body are shaped by the garments that clothe them and that the garments, in turn, are shaped by the bodies which they clothe.' Bolton elaborated in Vogue’s November announcement: 'What connects every curatorial department and what connects every single gallery in the museum is fashion. It's the common thread throughout the whole museum. Even the nude is never naked. It’s always inscribed with cultural values and ideas.' The exhibition focuses primarily on Western art from prehistory to the present.

Dress Code: 'Fashion Is Art' Opens Wide Interpretation

The 'Fashion Is Art' dress code invites attendees 'to express their own relationship to fashion as an embodied art form and celebrate the countless depictions of the dressed body throughout art history,' according to organizers. The directive leaves room for broad interpretation, from sculptural gowns mimicking museum statues to sheer, mesh, or draped styles evoking Greek or Roman monuments. Stylist Law Roach, who works with Zendaya, predicted in March that at least one guest might recreate a literal masterpiece, such as the Mona Lisa. Roach noted that planning for Zendaya’s look typically begins five months in advance, starting with the designer’s choice and then a conversation about inspiration.

Stars and Designers on the Red Carpet

Among the expected attendees are Beyoncé, Rihanna, Nicole Kidman, Kim Kardashian, Sabrina Carpenter, and Venus Williams. Indian filmmaker Karan Johar, speaking to the BBC on the red carpet, wore a vintage jacket over a hand-painted cape with detailed embroidery featuring characters from Indian mythology, designed by his close friend Manish Malhotra, who also attended. Johar said fashion is a massive part of his movies and that the day left him feeling emotional. The gala continues a tradition of themed exhibitions: the 2025 theme was 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,' with a 'Tailored for You' dress code, the first show exclusively focused on Black designers and the first in more than 20 years focused on menswear. In 2023, 'Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion' with a 'Garden of Time' dress code saw stars in nature-inspired designs.

What Comes Next: The Exhibition and Its Legacy

After the gala, the 'Costume Art' exhibition will be open to the public for eight months, offering an extended opportunity to view the nearly 400 objects that explore the dressed body across millennia. The inauguration of the Condé M. Nast Galleries signals a permanent expansion of the Costume Institute’s footprint within the museum, cementing fashion’s place in art history. As the gala approaches, anticipation builds around how celebrities will interpret the 'Fashion Is Art' dress code. The event’s blend of high fashion, celebrity culture, and museum scholarship continues to draw global attention, with the livestream ensuring millions can watch the red carpet unfold.

The bottom line

• The 2026 Met Gala theme 'Costume Art' and dress code 'Fashion Is Art' explicitly frame fashion as a fine art form, supported by an exhibition pairing garments with art objects across 5,000 years.
• The gala inaugurates the new Condé M. Nast Galleries, a nearly 12,000-square-foot wing, marking a significant expansion of the Costume Institute.
• Co-chairs Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour bring star power, while Vogue’s livestream with Emma Chamberlain, Ashley Graham, Cara Delevingne, and La La Anthony ensures broad accessibility.
• The exhibition, curated by Andrew Bolton, focuses on the dressed body and includes body types traditionally overlooked, with nearly 400 objects on display from May 10 to January 10, 2027.
• The dress code invites broad interpretation, with stylists like Law Roach starting preparations months in advance, and predictions of literal masterpiece recreations on the red carpet.
• The event continues a tradition of themed Met Galas, following 2025’s 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style' and 2023’s 'Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.'