The annual Met Gala has become such a global pop-culture phenomenon that many probably forget—or maybe never knew!—that the event functions as a lucrative fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, the branch of the museum dedicated to all things fashion.
Last year’s event raised $31 million, and this year’s raised $42 million, Met director Max Hollien announced on Monday morning. Controversially, the Met named Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sánchez Bezos honorary chairs, a move that has led to widespread protests. (The two are reported to have given the Met Gala $10 million.) The gala always precedes the opening of the Costume Institute’s spring show, which this year is titled “Costume Art” and opens to the public on May 10.
The 2026 event kicked off earlier this evening with the somewhat vague dress code of “Fashion is Art.” (Compare that to last year’s theme honoring Black dandyism, a much more specific concept.) As always, the Met Gala features a star-studded cast of co-chairs (Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour), and host committee members from the worlds of fashion, sports, film, and music. Representing the art world on the committee are the artists Anna Weyant, Tschabalala Self, and Amy Sherald.
Below are some of the most eye-catching looks from the A-list celebrities who graced the Met steps with their presence on Monday night.
