Met Gala Cochair vs Host Committee: Breaking Down the Difference

Fashion’s biggest night, the 2026 Met Gala, is just around the corner, and we’ve got the answers to all your questions!

On May 4th, all the biggest stars will be in New York City for the annual Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This year’s theme is “Costume Art,” and the dress code, “Fashion Is Art,” promises some incredible and creative outfits.

For those celebrities chosen to do more than just pose on the famous steps, what are their responsibilities?

Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams will join Vogue’s global editorial director, Anna Wintour, as co-chairs of the event. Wintour traditionally leads the yearly fashion event and fundraiser.

These women are in charge of making the gala a success and serve as the main hosts. They arrive early to greet guests on the red carpet and also work closely with Anna to plan all the evening’s events.

As a lifestyle expert, I’m often asked about event planning, and details are everything. We’re talking about managing all aspects, from the guest list – which in this case could be around 450 people! – to the food and how the space looks, especially if it’s a beautiful location like a museum. Plus, you might even have special guests take center stage during dinner to share a speech or performance, as Marie Claire recently highlighted.

The group organizing the event seems to be taking a bigger role in managing the finances this year. The Met recently reintroduced its host committee – a tradition it hadn’t used for a while – to support the “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” gala, and brought it back again this year, with Yves Saint Laurent leading the effort.

The 2026 campaign will be led by two co-chairs: Anthony Vaccarello, the Creative Director of YSL, and Zoë Kravitz, a prominent face in YSL’s advertising.

The event’s host committee features a star-studded lineup including Angela Bassett, Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Misty Copeland, Elizabeth Debicki, Lena Dunham, LISA of BLACKPINK, Gwendoline Christie, Sam Smith, Teyana Taylor, A’ja Wilson, and Chase Sui Wonders.

The committee also includes Chloe Malle, the new editor of Vogue, along with models Adut Akech, Alex Consani, Paloma Elsesser, and Lauren Wasser. Disability activist Sinéad Burke, actress Rebecca Hall, painter Amy Sherald, athlete and actress Aimee Mullins, artists Tschabalala Self and Anna Weyant, and French singer and model Yseult are also members.

The people organizing the event come from many different fields – like movies, music, fashion, sports, and business – and their primary focus is raising money for the Costume Institute at the Met and making the event profitable.

How do they get so many people to attend? According to The Hollywood Reporter, they rely on their connections to guarantee a strong turnout. It’s no surprise, considering individual tickets to this exclusive event cost $100,000, and tables start at $350,000, as reported by The New York Times.

This year, Saint Laurent joined Conde Nast in supporting the Met Gala, essentially helping to cover the costs of the event. Saint Laurent is also sponsoring the exhibition’s catalogue.

Jeff and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are major financial supporters of the exhibition, designated as “lead sponsors and honorary cochairs.” According to the Met Museum, their contribution is what makes the exhibition and its accompanying benefit event possible.

The 2026 Met Gala is almost here! Before the new red carpet looks arrive, let’s revisit some of the most stunning outfits from last year’s event.