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GLAMOROUS and glitzy gowns will be seen far and wide on Monday evening at one of the highlights of the fashion calendar takes place.
The Met Gala is an annual celebration of haute couture that brings together some of the world’s biggest stars.
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But when is it taking place this year, what is the theme and who will be in attendance?
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2026 Met Gala.
When is the Met Gala 2026?
The Met Gala is held annually on the first Monday of May each year with the purpose of raising funds for the Costume Institute, in order to enable exhibitions and the production of costumes.
This means that, in 2026, the Met Gala will be taking place on May 4.
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The main live stream for the event will begin at 6pm ET (11pm BST).
However, stars begin gracing the red carpet a little earlier – from around 4:30pm (9:30pm BST).
How can I watch the Met Gala red carpet?
Given there will be so many famous faces in attendance, excited viewers will be keen to tune in to events as they unfold.
Vogue has exclusive live streaming rights to the Met Gala, allowing you to follow the action on the world-famous fashion brand’s website. The publisher will also be broadcasting the 2026 Met Gala from their YouTube and TikTok accounts.
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Who’s attending the 2026 Met Gala?
This year’s event will be hosted by by co-chairs Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour.
Beyoncé hasn’t attended the event since 2016, when she wore an iconic peach latex dress for the theme Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology.
Kim Kardashian and Hailey Bieber, both Met mainstays, are expected to make appearances. Other stars on the carpet could include include Oscar-winner Jessie Buckley, Zendaya, and Lady Gaga.
The ultra-exclusive guest list could also include a reality TV addition: Maura Higgins, who was known for her fashion during her time on season 4 of The Traitors.
What is this year’s Met Gala theme?
The Met Gala 2026 theme is “Costume Art” and is inspired by “the centrality of the dressed body in the museum’s vast collection”, per the event’s curator Andrew Bolton.
This year’s exhibition will also mark the inauguration of nearly 12,000 square feet of the Conde M. Nast Galleries, located next to The Met’s Great Hall.
As for this year’s dress code, it is stated as: “Fashion is art.”
It allows “guests to express their own relationship to fashion as an embodied art form and celebrate the countless depictions of the dressed body throughout art history”.
