For the past 78 years, the Met Gala has reigned as the fashion event of the year.
Designed to raise money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in Manhattan, it’s also a night to ogle celebrities and A-listers wearing ambitious, themed outfits tailor-made for the wearer.
Over the years, there have been some iconic looks, from Zendaya‘s Versace Joan of Arc look at 2008’s “Heavenly Bodies” themed event to Claire Danes‘ glow-in-the-dark Zac Posen gown at 2016’s “Manus x Machina” themed edition.
What memorable looks will this year’s Met Gala bring? You can be the first to know by actually watching it live.
Watch With Us has everything we know about the 2026 Met Gala, including the date, time, which celebrities will be attending and more.
When Is the 2026 Met Gala Taking Place?
The 2026 Met Gala takes place on Monday, May 4. And in the meantime, you can watch moments from last year’s Met Gala red carpet on the official live blog.
What Time Does the 2026 Met Gala Start?
The 2026 Met Gala begins at 3 p.m. PDT/6 p.m. EDT.
Which Stars Will Be Attending the 2026 Met Gala?
While the Met Gala keeps its guest list tight under wraps until the time of the event, what we do know is that New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife, Rama, declined to attend the event in an unprecedented move. The Met Gala has been attended by numerous past NYC mayors, including Mamdani’s successor, Eric Adams, in addition to Bill de Blasio and Michael Bloomberg.
Other than that, we can only speculate on who will be attending. The event tends to host roughly 450 attendees, comprised not only of movie stars and pop culture icons but also young creatives, and big names from the worlds of fashion, politics, sports and other artistic areas. We can only hope that iconic repeat guests such as Rihanna, Zendaya and Blake Lively will be in attendance yet again.
Some rumored 2026 Meta Gala guests include Sabrina Carpenter, Zoë Kravitz, Harry Styles, Nicole Kidman, Lisa and Teyana Taylor.
Will the 2026 Met Gala Be Televised?
Yes, the Met Gala coverage can be watched on TV with any cable package that offers the E! channel, such as Fubo, DirecTV, Hulu + Live TV and Sling. The coverage is co-hosted by Zanna Roberts Rassi, Maria Taylor, Elaine Welteroth, Yvonne Orji and Christian Siriano.
Vogue will also be livestreaming the event on its YouTube channel, which you can watch here:
Who Are the Co-Chairs of the 2026 Met Gala?
The co-chairs of the 2026 Met Gala are Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and, as always, Vogue’s former editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.
What Is the Theme of This Year’s Met Gala?
This year’s Met Gala theme is called “Costume Art,” which will coincide with the Costume Institute’s 2026 spring exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The show will inaugurate the museum’s new, massive Condé M. Nast Galleries, and is meant to celebrate the more than 5,000-year relationship between fashion and bodies, and how they are central to the curation of exhibits in the Met. Spearheaded by Andrew Bolton, nearly 400 objects are set to be shown, in addition to 200 paintings, decorative arts and sculptures, and 200 garments and accessories.
