The countdown to the 2026 Met Gala has officially begun, with the Costume Institute announcing this year’s theme: Fashion is Art.
The title aligns with the Institute’s upcoming exhibition, Costume Art, which opens to the public on May 10 and will run until January 10, 2027. The exhibition will also debut the museum’s new permanent galleries — a 1,115-square-metre space dedicated entirely to its fashion collection.
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Curator Andrew Bolton said the showcase aims to address the long-standing debate over whether fashion should be recognised as a true art form. As always, the gala will serve as the exhibition’s grand opening and the Institute’s primary fundraiser.
An all-female group of co-chairs will lead the 2026 event, including Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams, alongside long-time organiser Anna Wintour.
The 2026 gala marks Beyoncé’s first time serving as co-chair since her last appearance in 2016, while Kidman previously chaired the event in the early 2000s. For Williams, it will be her first time in the hosting role — a move that reflects the gala’s growing embrace of influential figures beyond film and music.
