Met Gala set for May 4

The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 2026 Met Gala is set for Monday, May 4, tied to the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition, “Costume Art.” (metmuseum.org) The Met said the gala’s dress code is “Fashion Is Art,” while the exhibition itself examines how clothing and the dressed body appear across art history. (metmuseum.org 1) (metmuseum.org 2) The museum said Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams will serve as co-chairs alongside Anna Wintour. Vogue’s official livestream starts at 6 p.m. Eastern on May 4. (metmuseum.org) (vogue.ph) Ashley Graham, La La Anthony and Cara Delevingne are set to host the livestream, and Emma Chamberlain is returning as red-carpet correspondent. Vogue said the stream will run across its digital platforms, YouTube and TikTok. (vogue.ph) “Costume Art” is built around pairings: garments from the Costume Institute matched with paintings, sculpture and other objects from across the museum. The Met said the show focuses mainly on Western art from prehistory to the present. (metmuseum.org) (today.com) The exhibition is organized through thematic “body types,” with examples cited by The Associated Press including the “Naked Body,” the “Classical Body,” the “Pregnant Body” and the “Aging Body.” (today.com) This year’s show also marks a physical expansion for fashion at the museum. The Met said “Costume Art” will inaugurate nearly 12,000 square feet of new galleries next to the Great Hall. (metmuseum.org) (today.com) The exhibition opens to the public on May 10, with member preview days beginning May 5. The Met’s main Fifth Avenue building is scheduled to be closed to regular visitors on gala day, May 4. (metmuseum.org 1) (metmuseum.org 2) (metmuseum.org 3) The gala remains the Costume Institute’s main fundraiser, and last year’s event raised a record $31 million, according to the Associated Press. On May 4, the fashion spectacle and the museum’s new gallery strategy land on the same staircase. (today.com)