The Met Gala has officially revealed its dress code for 2026, announcing ‘Fashion Is Art’ as the guiding concept for this year’s highly anticipated event.
The dress code follows the earlier announcement that the gala’s overall theme will be Costume Art.
Hosted annually by Anna Wintour, the Met Gala serves as the main fundraising event for the Costume Institute at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Each year, the gala’s theme and dress code set the tone for bold fashion statements on the museum’s iconic steps.
According to the creative mastermind behind the Met Gala’s themes and exhibitions Andrew Bolton, the inspiration behind the theme lies in fashion’s ability to connect different artistic disciplines.
Bolton explained in a statement to Vogue that fashion acts as a unifying element across the museum’s galleries.
“What connects every curatorial department and every single gallery in the museum is fashion, or the dressed body,” he said, describing fashion as a shared thread that inspired the exhibition and the gala’s creative direction.
With the dress code now confirmed, guests attending the 2026 Met Gala are encouraged to view the human body as a “blank canvas,” exploring how designers use clothing as a form of artistic expression.
The concept invites imaginative interpretations, blurring the line between fashion, sculpture and performance art. The announcement comes two months after the gala revealed its co-chairs for the year.
Notably, Beyoncé will return to the Costume Institute Benefit for the first time in a decade, joining Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams as co-chairs of the event.
In addition to the co-chairs, the 2026 Met Gala host committee will feature a diverse group of cultural and fashion-forward figures, including Zoë Kravitz, Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Teyana Taylor, Misty Copeland and Lena Dunham, among others.
While Anna Wintour will continue to lead the event, the 2026 gala will also mark a notable moment for Vogue, as her successor, Chloe Malle, joins the host committee and officially steps onto the Met Gala stage for hosting duties.
As anticipation builds, the 2026 Met Gala is shaping up to be a celebration where fashion, art and individuality converge once again turning the red carpet into a global canvas.
