Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams Co-Chair 2026 Met Gala as ‘Fashion is Art’ Dress Code Takes Over New York

Key facts

• The 2026 Met Gala is held on May 4, 2026, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
• Co-chairs include Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams; host committee co-chairs are Anthony Vaccarello and Zoë Kravitz.
• The exhibition ‘Costume Art’ runs from May 10, 2026, to January 10, 2027, in the new 12,000-square-foot Condé M. Nast Galleries.
• Dress code ‘Fashion is Art’ encourages attendees to serve as a blank canvas, with sub-sections on the classical body, anatomical body, and nude body.
• Notable attendees include Hunter Schafer (channelling Gustav Klimt), Beyoncé (skeletal gown), Madonna (ship on head), and Heidi Klum (marble statue).
• The livestream begins at 6:00 pm EDT on Vogue’s YouTube and TikTok, hosted by Ashley Graham, La La Anthony, Cara Delevingne, and Emma Chamberlain.
• Partners for the livestream include Full Day Productions, Feed the Animals, and Dream Machine, with director Micah Bickham.

A Red Carpet Transformed into a Living Gallery

The 2026 Met Gala unfolded tonight under a canopy of wisteria blossoms, with a mossy, cream-coloured brick road replacing the traditional red carpet. The evening’s dress code, “Fashion is Art,” urged attendees to become walking canvases, and the results ranged from the sublime to the surreal. Hunter Schafer arrived in a gown directly inspired by Gustav Klimt’s golden period, while Beyoncé chose a skeletal dress that laid bare the anatomical body. Madonna topped her ensemble with a ship-shaped headpiece, and Heidi Klum appeared as a marble statue, her skin painted white and her posture frozen in classical form.

Co-Chairs and Host Committee Set the Tone

Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams served as the evening’s co-chairs, each embodying the theme in distinct ways. Beyoncé’s skeletal gown offered a literal interpretation of the anatomical body sub-section, while Kidman and Williams opted for metallic, sculptural silhouettes. The host committee co-chairs, Anthony Vaccarello and Zoë Kravitz, were joined by a roster of celebrities including Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Alex Consani, Lena Dunham, Paloma Elsesser, Lisa, Teyana Taylor, Lauren Wasser, A’ja Wilson, and Yseult. Many of these guests embraced the “naked dressing” trend, using sheer fabrics and strategic cutouts to reference the nude body.

The ‘Costume Art’ Exhibition and Its Galleries

The gala serves as the opening for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s new exhibition, “Costume Art,” which will run from May 10, 2026, until January 10, 2027. The exhibition occupies the brand-new Condé M. Nast Galleries, a space spanning nearly 12,000 square feet. Inside, hundreds of pieces of art that center the dressed body are paired with thematically relevant fashions. The exhibition is divided into sub-sections: the classical body, the anatomical body, and the nude body. These categories provided a framework for guests to interpret the dress code, with many choosing Hellenistic drapery or anatomical motifs.

Livestream and Digital Coverage Draw Global Audience

Vogue broadcast the red carpet exclusively across its digital platforms, including YouTube and TikTok, beginning at 6:00 pm EDT. The livestream was hosted by Ashley Graham, La La Anthony, and Cara Delevingne, with Emma Chamberlain reprising her role as Red Carpet Correspondent. Partners for the production included Full Day Productions, Feed the Animals, and Dream Machine, with Micah Bickham directing. Vogue’s editors also maintained a live blog, offering real-time commentary on the arrivals and looks.

A Night of Bold Statements and Artistic Homages

Beyond the co-chairs, the red carpet featured a parade of bold fashion choices. Rihanna and A$AP Rocky arrived in coordinated metallic looks, while Cher and Margot Robbie chose black and beige ensembles respectively. Charli XCX and Hailey Bieber also made appearances, with Charli XCX in a sleek, minimalist gown. Several celebrities explicitly referenced art history: Hunter Schafer’s Klimt homage was among the most direct, while others like Doja Cat and Teyana Taylor used avant-garde silhouettes to evoke sculptural forms. The variety of interpretations underscored the breadth of the “Fashion is Art” theme.

What the Gala Signals for Fashion and Museums

The 2026 Met Gala cements the Costume Institute’s ongoing effort to position fashion as a legitimate fine art. By placing garments alongside traditional artworks in the new Condé M. Nast Galleries, the museum challenges the boundary between dress and sculpture. For the fashion industry, the event’s dress code encourages designers to push creative boundaries, while for the public, the livestream and social media coverage democratize access to an otherwise exclusive affair. The exhibition’s run through January 2027 ensures that the conversation around fashion as art will continue long after the last guest leaves the carpet.

The bottom line

• The 2026 Met Gala was co-chaired by Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams, with a host committee including Anthony Vaccarello and Zoë Kravitz.
• The dress code ‘Fashion is Art’ inspired looks ranging from Klimt-inspired gowns to skeletal and marble-statue ensembles.
• The accompanying exhibition ‘Costume Art’ opens May 10, 2026, in the new 12,000-square-foot Condé M. Nast Galleries and runs through January 10, 2027.
• The red carpet was livestreamed on Vogue’s YouTube and TikTok starting at 6:00 pm EDT, hosted by Ashley Graham, La La Anthony, Cara Delevingne, and Emma Chamberlain.
• Key attendees included Hunter Schafer, Madonna, Heidi Klum, Rihanna, Cher, and Charli XCX, among others.
• The event reinforces the Costume Institute’s mission to elevate fashion as fine art, with an exhibition that pairs garments with art historical works.