By: Serena Edwards
The Met Gala is held annually in New York City on the first Monday of May. The Met Gala is a fundraising event for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met). Each year, the Met Gala has a theme for all attendees to follow that is connected to the exhibition shown inside the museum itself.
For the 2026 Met Gala, the category is “Costume Art.” Set to take place on May 4, A-list celebrities Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Venus Williams will be joining chairwoman Anna Wintour on this year’s committee.
According to The Met, “The Costume Institute’s collection of more than thirty-three thousand objects represents seven centuries of fashionable dress and accessories for men, women, and children, from the fifteenth century to the present.”
Starting in 1948, the Met Gala was a modest dinner event to fundraise for the costume department. Since 1973, there has been a theme guests are encouraged to dress for. Before Anna Wintour, there was the fashion legend Diana Vreeland, who served as chair for The Met Gala.
According to Vogue, “In 1972, Diana Vreeland, the imaginative editor in chief of Vogue from 1963 to 1971, applied her unending creativity to the Costume Institute as a consultant for the Met. After Vreeland’s passing, there wasn’t a chairperson until 1995 when Anna Wintour took over as chair temporarily.”
According to EBSCO, “Anna Wintour, who served as a one-off chairperson in 1995 and 1997 before becoming the permanent chairperson in 1999.”
This year’s theme is to help launch the new Condé Nast Galleries, according to Vogue. The gallery’s focus is on diverse body types that have often been overlooked. Showing variety from the “classic body” and the “naked body.”
Actress Nicole Kidman, Singer and Entrepreneur Beyoncé Knowles, and Athlete Venus Williams are the co-chairs.
According to W Magazine, “Beyoncé has not set foot on those Met steps since 2016.”
The last time Knowles attended the Gala, the theme was “Manus x Machina,” and she wore designs from Ricardo Tisci for Givenchy Haute Couture. This, however, isn’t Knowles’ first time serving as co-chair; she previously served as honorary chair in 2013.
This will also be Kidman’s third time serving as co-chair, with her previous times being 2003 and 2005.
However, this will be Williams’ first time serving in the position. They will help curate the big night from the guest list to the menu; they make decisions on all decisions, from big to small. According to Marie Claire, “A Met Gala co-chair will also help to create atmosphere inside the event by selecting specific decor and working with interior designers to bring the space to life.”
With the most exclusive invitation in the world and A-list celebrities planning their outfits months in advance, the 2026 Met Gala will be one to remember.