Met Gala 2026 Dress Code Revealed

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The Met Gala 2026 is getting crafty with its theme. 

This year’s Met Gala, the annual fundraiser hosted by Anna Wintour for Vogue magazine, will have a theme of ‘fashion is art,’ which will also be the dress code for attendees.

According to Andrew Bolton, curator of the Costume Institute, fashion—specifically how we dress our bodies—is the unifying element across all departments and galleries within the museum. As he explained to Vogue, this realization was the original inspiration behind the exhibition.

The Met Gala’s dress code this year asks guests to think about how designers use the body as a space for artistic expression.

The Met Gala is known for its fashion, and this year’s theme is already generating excitement. Just two months after the event’s hosts were revealed, it’s been announced that Beyoncé will return to the Costume Institute benefit after a decade. She’ll be joining Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams as a co-chair.

The event will also feature a host of well-known celebrities, including Zoë Kravitz, Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Teyana Taylor, Misty Copeland, Lena Dunham, and others.

Anna will continue to host the annual fundraiser, but she’ll be joined by Chloe Malle, who follows her as a host at Vogue. Chloe will also be an official member of the 2026 Met Gala Host Committee, marking her full involvement in the event.

Even with all the rules and expectations surrounding the first Monday in May, Anna has often said she doesn’t truly know what guests will wear until they arrive at the Met Gala.

She explained on Good Morning America in May that people often reach out for their advice, and they do their best to help when they can. But sometimes, they’re completely stumped.

For Met Gala looks that not only met the dress code, but met the moment, keep reading… 

Kim Kardashian turned heads at the 2021 Met Gala with a surprising all-black outfit that completely covered her face. The custom look was created by Demna Gvasalia, the designer behind Balenciaga. Surprisingly, Kim couldn’t actually see through the material!

Oh my gosh, it was insane! Mom told me all about the Met Ball, and honestly, it was terrifying. Apparently, Kim couldn’t even breathe the whole night, she was so constricted by the outfit. Luckily, Corey was there – my absolute hero! He was literally guiding her around, making sure she didn’t fall, and even fixing her ponytail while leading her. It was like he was her bodyguard, her personal assistant, and a stylist all rolled into one! He was everything that night, seriously. I’m obsessed with how much he cares for her!

Lil Nas X truly delivered a show-stopping entrance at the 2021 Met Gala, changing outfits not once, but twice! One look, a stunning gold Versace suit resembling armor, was particularly memorable and continues to impress.

Rihanna is consistently praised for her innovative style, and her appearance at the 2021 Met Gala with boyfriend A$AP Rocky caused a huge reaction from her fans. The couple made a memorable entrance as one of the last to arrive, effectively stopping the show with their sweet and playful moment.

In 1996, just a year before her tragic death, Princess Diana made her one and only appearance at the Met Gala. Her dress, a navy satin slip designed by John Galliano for Dior, sparked debate – some thought it was too revealing for the event. She’d even considered wearing something more modest, worried about potentially embarrassing her teenage son, Prince William, but the gown quickly became a legendary fashion moment.

As of 2024, Princess of Wales and Princess Beatrice are the only British royals who have gone to the Met Gala. However, many expect Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to attend in the future.

Every time Rihanna arrives at the Met Gala, she creates a truly unforgettable fashion moment. She consistently delivers iconic looks that are instantly legendary.

The 2014 Met Gala is remembered for a now-famous elevator incident involving Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and Solange Knowles. Security footage leaked, showing Solange physically attacking Jay-Z while Beyoncé stood by. The usually private family quickly released a statement saying they were still a close, united family, addressing the widespread public interest in the situation.

We may never learn the full story, but Beyoncé hinted at the incident in a remix of “Flawless,” rapping, “Things sometimes happen when a lot of money is involved, like on an elevator.”

Fans remember Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston first sparking a connection at the 2016 Met Gala, where they danced together. Shortly after, Taylor ended her relationship with Calvin Harris and quickly began a fast-moving summer romance with Hiddleston.

George and Amal Clooney first attended the Met Gala together as a married couple in 2015. Amal later returned in 2018 to help host the event as a co-chair.

Only a week after Beyoncé released her album Lemonade, which hinted at problems in her marriage to Jay-Z, she attended the 2016 event without him, causing a huge reaction from her fans. Luckily, she wasn’t alone – her sister, Solange, was there with her, and notably wore a lemon-yellow outfit.

Kim Kardashian remembers her first Met Gala in 2013 vividly. She arrived with Kanye West wearing a striking floral gown by Givenchy. A month later, she gave birth to her daughter, North West. Two years after that, Kim playfully re-wore the same dress for Halloween, joking online that it still fit!

In 2006, Sarah Jessica Parker and the late Alexander McQueen made a bold fashion statement at the Met Gala, both wearing matching tartan outfits to honor the “AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion” exhibit.

Everyone knows a picture can speak volumes, and this one of Jeremy Scott with his Met Gala dates, Nicki Minaj and Demi Lovato, is particularly special. After Demi Lovato suggested Nicki Minaj had been subtly critical of her on Instagram, she hinted at the uncomfortable night they shared in an interview with Billboard, recalling the event from two years earlier.

She remembered in 2018 having a really bad experience with a particular celebrity, describing them as unpleasant and difficult to be around. She also said the environment felt very exclusive and unwelcoming.

Anna Wintour famously tried to maintain an air of exclusivity at the Met Gala, and in 2015, she banned selfies to do so. She seemed to be asking, ‘Is this a red carpet event, or a social media moment?’

Two years later, Kylie Jenner and her friends playfully snapped a photo of each other in the bathroom. It was a memorable moment – a classic picture that will likely be cherished for years, even if it wasn’t taken with a Kodak camera.

In 2018, Madonna delivered a memorable performance of “Like a Prayer” while descending the stairs of the Great Hall. She also sang Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” The performance perfectly matched the event’s theme, “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,” and felt like a true stairway to heaven.

Bella Hadid turned heads at the 2017 Met Gala in a striking outfit, skillfully avoiding a potentially uncomfortable encounter with her ex-boyfriend, The Weeknd, and his date, Selena Gomez. According to a source, she maintained her distance from the couple throughout the night. Interestingly, Bella and The Weeknd later reconciled, but their relationship didn’t last, and they eventually broke up again.

Jaden Smith is known for his bold fashion choices, and he first turned heads at the Met Gala in 2017 by carrying his recently cut dreadlocks as an accessory. This unconventional act became a signature move for the artist, who continued to surprise attendees – in 2018, he brought the gold plaque celebrating his hit song “Icon” as his companion.

Claire Danes made a stunning entrance at the 2016 Met Gala wearing a light blue ball gown that resembled a modern Disney princess. The dress, designed by Zac Posen, was actually covered in thousands of tiny L.E.D. lights, which lit up the dance floor as she moved.

Lady Gaga completely mastered the “Camp: Notes on Fashion” theme at the 2019 Met Gala. Her arrival in a huge, pink Brandon Maxwell gown was just the first surprise. She then revealed multiple outfits layered underneath, eventually stripping down to glamorous lingerie, leaving the crowd stunned and cheering.

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2026-02-23 18:48