Beyoncé Returns, Bezos Backlash Shadows 2026 Met Gala as Costume Institute Opens New Galleries

Key facts

• Beyoncé attended her first Met Gala since 2016, co-chairing alongside Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams and Anna Wintour.
• Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos served as honorary chairs, contributing $10 million amid controversy over Amazon’s $1 million donation to Trump’s 2024 inauguration.
• The 2026 Met Gala raised funds for the Costume Institute’s new permanent home in the Condé M. Nast Galleries, with the exhibition “Costume Art” opening to the public May 10.
• Individual tickets cost $100,000; tables start at $350,000; the 2025 gala raised a record $31 million.
• Rihanna arrived after 9 p.m. in Maison Margiela fall 2025 couture with a metallic wreath, accompanied by A$AP Rocky in Chanel.
• Madonna arrived with a pirate-ship headpiece, a boombox, and a golden horn, wearing opera gloves.
• Blake Lively attended in an archival Versace ballgown hours after settling her lawsuit with Justin Baldoni.
• Thom Browne dressed his cohort of guests to represent the nine sections of the exhibition, including the Pregnant Body, Disabled Body, and Mortal Body.

A Night of Art and Protest on Fifth Avenue

The 2026 Met Gala unfolded Monday evening on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art under a cloud of controversy that had been building since February. Honorary chairs Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos, who contributed $10 million for the privilege, faced backlash over Amazon’s $1 million donation to Donald Trump’s 2024 inauguration and ongoing economic challenges including high gas and grocery prices. Protesters gathered across Fifth Avenue, a departure from the usual crowd of cheering fans, as the first guests began arriving around 6 p.m. The dress code, “Fashion Is Art,” and the exhibition “Costume Art” celebrate the dressed body, with the Costume Institute moving from its basement headquarters into the new Condé M. Nast Galleries just off the Great Hall. The exhibition opens to the public on May 10 and runs through Jan. 10, 2027.

Beyoncé Leads the Co-Chairs in a Silver Showstopper

Beyoncé made her grand entrance at approximately 8:30 p.m., her first Met Gala since 2016. She wore a shimmering silver gown with bedazzled skeleton detailing, a silver headpiece, and a long gray feather train, styled by Ty Hunter. The singer, one of four co-chairs alongside Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour, arrived with her husband Jay-Z and their daughter Blue Ivy Carter, who wore a cream-colored gown. Beyoncé said “family” was the essence of her Olivier Rousteing look. Kidman, Williams, and Wintour had arrived earlier, with Wintour overseeing the gala as she has since 1995. The host committee included Sabrina Carpenter, Teyana Taylor, Elizabeth Debicki, Chase Sui Wonders, and Blackpink’s Lisa, with designer Anthony Vaccarello of Saint Laurent co-chairing the committee alongside Zoë Kravitz.

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky Close the Red Carpet

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky arrived just after 9 p.m., shutting down the red carpet. Rihanna wore Maison Margiela’s fall 2025 couture, swapping the collection’s covered face for a metallic wreath. A$AP Rocky wore a pink Chanel robe with a signature floral brooch, described as “elegantly disarming and utterly relaxed.” The couple’s late arrival was anticipated, with photographers spotting Rihanna leaving her hotel earlier in the evening. Madonna also made a dramatic entrance, wearing a pirate-ship headpiece and a long gray train carried by attendants in sheer blindfolds. She carried a personal boombox playing an instrumental tune and a golden horn in her opera-gloved hand.

Blake Lively and Anne Hathaway Among Notable Arrivals

Blake Lively arrived in a cascading pink and purple archival Versace ballgown, her first Met Gala in four years, just hours after settling her bombshell lawsuit with “It Ends with Us” costar and director Justin Baldoni. She posed briefly for photos before speaking with Vogue and heading inside. Anne Hathaway, star of “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” walked the carpet with designer Michael Kors in a bird-adorned gown. She was joined by costars Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci, though Meryl Streep was absent. Kim Kardashian also arrived with a special date and a hair transformation.

Thom Browne’s Curatorial Vision for the Exhibition

Designer Thom Browne, who dressed a cohort of guests for the evening, used their looks to represent the nine sections of the “Costume Art” exhibition: the Pregnant Body, Corpulent Body, Disabled Body, Naked & Nude Body, Classical Body, Abstract Body, Aging Body, Mortal Body, and Epidermal Body. The exhibition itself explores how fashion and art have engaged with the human body throughout history. Guests also enjoyed a first look at the exhibition, which was previewed for media and guests Monday morning. The new galleries on the museum’s first floor house the Costume Institute’s permanent collection for the first time.

Record Fundraising Amid Economic Headwinds

The Met Gala is the Costume Institute’s primary fundraiser, with all proceeds supporting exhibitions, acquisitions, publications, and operations. Individual tickets cost $100,000, and table prices start at $350,000. The 2025 gala raised $31 million, the largest amount since the event’s inception in 1948. The involvement of Bezos and Sánchez Bezos, however, has drawn criticism from New Yorkers and members of the fashion and entertainment industries. The honorary chairs’ $10 million contribution was seen by some as myopic given Amazon’s recent political donations and the broader economic climate. Whether the controversy will dampen attention on the evening’s fashion remained an open question as the night progressed.

A Night That Blends Fashion, Art, and Social Commentary

The 2026 Met Gala demonstrated that fashion’s biggest night is never just about clothes. The convergence of protest, celebrity, and high art on the museum’s steps reflected the tensions of the moment. The “Costume Art” exhibition, with its focus on the dressed body in all its forms, offered a counterpoint to the glamour on the carpet, while the presence of figures like Beyoncé and Rihanna ensured the event’s global reach. As guests moved inside to explore the new galleries and dine, the evening underscored the Costume Institute’s enduring ability to command attention and resources, even as the world outside the museum walls grows more contentious.

The bottom line

• Beyoncé returned to the Met Gala after a decade, co-chairing alongside Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour.
• Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos’s honorary chair roles sparked protests over Amazon’s political donations and economic inequality.
• The Costume Institute opened its new permanent galleries with the exhibition “Costume Art,” exploring the dressed body through nine thematic sections.
• Rihanna and Madonna delivered standout fashion moments, with Rihanna in Maison Margiela couture and Madonna in a pirate-themed ensemble.
• Blake Lively made her first Met Gala appearance in four years, hours after settling her legal dispute with Justin Baldoni.
• The 2025 gala raised a record $31 million, setting a high bar for this year’s fundraising amid controversy.